Hawaiian’s Boeing 767-300 fleet equipped with Cobham SATCOM AVIATOR 300D and Inmarsat’s SwiftBroadband-Safety service enables Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) applications and voice and data connectivity simultaneously
03 November 2016: LYNGBY, Denmark - Cobham has announced that
its AVIATOR 300D satellite communications solution and Inmarsat's
SwiftBroadband-Safety (SB-S) has enabled in-air connected
Electronic Flight Bags (EFBs) for the first time.
The live EFB capability was achieved as part of a Federal
Aviation Administration (FAA) supervised technology evaluation with
Hawaiian Airlines (HAL) to monitor the transmission of
communications data over SB-S.
For the evaluation, HAL has equipped its fleet of Boeing 767-300
aircraft with the current generation of Cobham AVIATOR avionics and
Inmarsat SB-S service, representing the first-ever commercial
flights to utilise Inmarsat's next generation, IP-based broadband
service on the flight deck.
With data already being successfully collected during the
on-going evaluation using the Cobham Compact Satellite Data Unit
(CSDU), the latest advancement confirms the AVIATOR/SB-S system can
also be used to channel ACARS data to and from the pilot's EFB via
UTC Aerospace Systems' Aircraft Data Management (ADM) including the
Aircraft Interface Device (AID), and Tablet Interface Module
(TIM®). This further supports the ultimate objective to use
broadband technology and avionics for data transmission in support
of Hawaiian's new eFLIE EFB program.
The technology breakthrough being announced today takes the EFB
to a new level by allowing pilots to obtain real-time information
while in flight, rather than waiting for downloads while on the
ground. Applications include graphical weather, telemedicine,
passenger data, aircraft documentation, and more.
These enhanced features will become the centrepiece of Cobham's
AVIATOR S product family which is designed specifically to leverage
Inmarsat's new SB-S service and will ensure a system configuration
that can meet the requirements of all aircraft types.
Andy Beers, Global Sales Director for Cobham SATCOM said: "As a
result of our program with Hawaiian Airlines and Inmarsat, the
connected EFB is now a reality. EFB connectivity will have huge
implications for the industry, allowing for a host of applications
to transmit time-critical data quickly and effectively while in
flight."
"This is a big step forward, both for Cobham and Inmarsat, in
the FAA's evaluation process of SwiftBroadband-Safety and in the
development of our next generation satcom product family, AVIATOR
S. We are proud to be playing a major role in transforming the
flight deck into a fully connected work environment through our
innovative line of SwiftBroadband- powered satcom systems. We are
confident that the world's airlines will embrace the concept of a
fully connected flight deck as it will provide them with a new
level of improved operations which will translate into an improved
financial bottom line."
"This represents a true paradigm shift," says Inmarsat
Aviation's VP of Safety and Operational Services, Captain Mary
McMillan. "The SwiftBroadband-Safety platform, delivered via
AVIATOR S avionics, increases the level of information and
knowledge that pilots use every day on the flight deck by orders of
magnitude. Having information like networked graphical weather in
flight is a real game changer. It will boost the efficiency of
flights, improve safety, and make flights more punctual."
Cobham SATCOM's upcoming AVIATOR S product line will offer
smaller, lighter, and more powerful satcom solutions to the airline
industry and addresses the growing demand from airlines for
continuous secure data exchange between their ground operations and
their aircraft.
NOTES FOR EDITORS:
Watch Hawaiian Airlines pilots and Flight Operations leadership
talk about the benefits of IP broadband in the flight deck in this
video
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 Cobham
The most important thing we build is trust.
Cobham is a leading global technology and services innovator,
respected for providing solutions to the most challenging problems,
from deep space to the depths of the ocean.
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