Hawaiian Airlines aircraft starts flying with Cobham SwiftBroadband system following award of STC developed by L2 Consulting

LYNGBY, Denmark - Cobham SATCOM has announced receipt of a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) for the installation of its AVIATOR 300D SwiftBroadband system, with IGA-5001 Intermediate Gain Antenna, on Boeing 767-200, 300 and 300F aircraft.

In support of the SwiftBroadband Safety Service Evaluation program, the new STC for the Cobham system will allow for FANS 1/A+ and CPDLC communications as well as ATC voice over SwiftBroadband during the evaluation period. The SwiftBroadband-based service enables the fast and efficient transfer of Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System (ACARS) data messages via a secure, dedicated 'pipe' to the cockpit. It also supports flight deck voice services and provides dedicated IP connectivity to the cockpit, enabling access to new applications such as Electronic Flight Bags and flight data transmission.

Hawaiian Airlines will outfit their fleet of B767 aircraft with the Cobham SwiftBroadband solution in the coming months following the certification, after Hawaiian Airlines became the first commercial airline to fly with Inmarsat's SwiftBroadband Safety service following the first flight on a HAL Boeing 767-300 on June 3.

The multiple FAA (Federal Aviation Authority) STC was developed in conjunction with applicant L2 Consulting Services and secured following evaluations carried out in cooperation with Hawaiian Airlines (HAL), PARC CWG (FAA), ARINC/Rockwell Collins and Inmarsat. L2 Consulting developed the integration engineering, produced the installation kits and provided certification and project management for the program, and also provided Cobham with remote installation services.

Kim Gram, vice president of Cobham SATCOM's aeronautical business unit, said: "We are very pleased to announce this significant STC which is supporting the FAA-supervised demonstration to evaluate communication technologies being developed to meet the future needs of the aviation community.

"The certification, which allows communication of ACARS data over SwiftBroadband, means we can continue with the scheduled installation of the Cobham systems on the rest of the HAL fleet and enables us to measure the quality of the communication and present this information to the authorities to attain a formal approval of SBB as a safety service.

"SBB has previously only been a service for cabin entertainment, which is why this agreement with HAL is important in successfully proving the benefits of SBB satcom with ACARS data capability to the cockpit, such as increased bandwidth capabilities for air traffic control and operational capabilities to the cockpit. Using SwiftBroadband IP connectivity for all domains of the aircraft will provide safer and more efficient flights.

"The next milestone will be the first installation of our ground-breaking AVIATOR S which is designed specifically to leverage Inmarsat's new SwiftBroadband Safety service and will be available in early 2016 to coincide with approvals for FANS 1/A services over SwiftBroadband."

Unusually when testing new technology, HAL has been allowed reduced separation to fly with FANS 1/A until the evaluation period is satisfactorily completed, following approval by the Air Navigation Service Provider (ANSP), with recommendation by the FAA.

The AVIATOR SwiftBroadband system was used for FANS and CPDLC messaging and for data transmission in support of Hawaiian's new eFLIE, Electronic Flight Bag program (EFBs) during the evaluation, which monitored system operation to ensure it complied with FANS 1/A subset, RCP 240.

The AVIATOR 200S airborne satcom, which will be the first system to be made available, features the exceptionally compact HELGA (combined HLD and Enhanced LGA) antenna which reduces the number of LRUs from three to two. This first Inmarsat Class 4 terminal by Cobham enables simultaneous transmission of safety and non-safety services over the same SwiftBroadband channel. The revolutionary new system will also afford space and weight savings.

For further information please visit www.cobham.com/satcom.

About Cobham

The most important thing we build is trust.

We protect lives and livelihoods with our differentiated technology and know-how, operating with a deep insight into customer needs and agility. Our innovative range of technologies and services solve challenging problems in harsh environments across commercial, defence and security markets, from deep space to the depths of the ocean, specialising in meeting the growing demand for data, connectivity and bandwidth.

We employ more than 12,000 people on five continents, and have customers and partners in over 100 countries, with market leading positions in: wireless, audio, video and data communications, including satellite communications; defence electronics; air-to-air refuelling; aviation services; life support and mission equipment.

About Cobham SATCOM

Providing dependable communications and internet access anywhere under the most demanding conditions.

Our satellite and radio communication terminals perform in the most challenging and remote environments on land, at sea and in the air.

We design and manufacture these high performance products under the AVIATOR, EXPLORER, SAILOR and Sea Tel brands providing customers with outstanding performance, value and support through our global sales and service network.

About Hawaiian Airlines

Hawaiian® has led all U.S. carriers in on-time performance for each of the past 11 years (2004-2014) as reported by the U.S. Department of Transportation. Consumer surveys by Condé Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure and Zagat have all ranked Hawaiian the highest of all domestic airlines serving Hawaii.

Now in its 86th year of continuous service, Hawaiian is Hawai'i's biggest and longest-serving airline, as well as the largest provider of passenger air service from its primary visitor markets on the U.S. Mainland. Hawaiian offers non-stop service to Hawai'i from more U.S. gateway cities (11) than any other airline, along with service from Japan, South Korea, China, Australia, New Zealand, American Samoa and Tahiti. Hawaiian also provides approximately 160 jet flights daily between the Hawaiian Islands, with a total of more than 200 daily flights system-wide.

Hawaiian Airlines, Inc. is a subsidiary of Hawaiian Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: HA). Additional information is available at HawaiianAirlines.com. Follow updates on Twitter about Hawaiian (@HawaiianAir) and become a fan on its Facebook page.

About L2

L2 Consulting Services, Inc. (www.L2aviation.com) provides avionics engineering, integration and installation services (FAA CRS L2ZR265X) for the global air transport industry. Since 1997, the company has been performing integration of digital avionics systems into analog and digital aircraft.  Additionally, L2 offers full installation and support capabilities.  L2 specializes in Satcom, EFB, e-Enabled, Flat Panels, ACARS/DataLink, RAAS, TAWS, Terminal and Cabin Wireless, Flight Data and FMS among other avionics systems.

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