SITAONAIR and Teledyne innovate industry’s first aircraft cockpit comms cellular service

SITAONAIR and Teledyne Controls are joining forces to deliver the aviation industry’s first-ever airline-integrated ACARS datalink terrestrial cellular service.

This new partnership – announced between SITAONAIR, the airline datalink communications world-leaders, and avionics manufacturer Teledyne Controls – represents an important evolution in airline and aircraft communications.

Datalink services are chiefly provided using VHF/VDL radio frequencies and satellites to transmit data messages, communicating vital real-time aircraft status, health and position updates between an aircraft and its airline’s flight operations.

By using Teledyne Controls’ GroundLink® Comm+ system, SITAONAIR is able to integrate terrestrial cellular services into its core datalink network, giving airlines the flexibility of another transmission channel for aircraft communications, bringing multiple benefits.

This is the first-ever option of its kind in the aircraft communications market and benefits to airlines of enabling the datalink service over 3G/4G include:

• Providing increased capacity for message transmission with levels of service, support and proactive monitoring that airlines have come to expect
• Relieving traditional datalink networks in congested airports
• Delivering the service through consistent interfaces and integrating the datalink infrastructure for seamless service delivery across networks
• Supplementing VHF datalink ground coverage in sparse areas.

Dominique El Bez, SITAONAIR’s Vice President of Strategy, (pictured above) says: “We are very pleased to formalize our relationship with Teledyne Controls to deliver our unique-to-market, datalink-over-cellular solution to the air transport industry.

“SITAONAIR is focused on leading the industry in evolving aircraft communications services, and this is the first step of several we are taking to bring new IP networks to aircraft for operational communications. Our vision is to deeply integrate available technology to ensure seamless interoperability between new and current networks. Fundamentally, our industry needs to know that these services, which provide critical communications, do the job, and this is the guarantee SITAONAIR delivers as a dedicated airline partner.

“The unique capabilities of our organizations, and willingness to drive innovation in the aircraft communications sphere, will bring significant benefits to both SITAONAIR and Teledyne customers and the broader aviation community.”

Marshall Dormire, Vice President of Business Development & Strategy of Teledyne Controls, adds: “We are thrilled to join forces with SITAONAIR to deliver this new datalink service. Customers have been very interested to extend datalink functionality to Teledyne’s versatile GroundLink® Comm+ system. It is now easy to quickly and securely transfer datalink data over 3G/4G wireless cellular networks worldwide.

“The GroundLink® Comm+ system automates the wireless distribution of navigation databases and Software Parts, provides data interfaces for cockpit Electronic Flight Bags, and now provides datalink over terrestrial cellular IP, all while systematically collecting recorded flight data from the airline’s fleet and delivering it to the airline.”

To discover SITAONAIR’s complete connected aircraft portfolio, and enquire about our solutions, speak to your local SITAONAIR contact, or visit www.sitaonair.aero