Avionica, part of GE Aviation, will develop a new cost-effective, lightweight terminal for Inmarsat’s award-winning SB-S aircraft operations and safety platform.
The new terminal will be available next year and has been designed for the retrofit market, providing an affordable option for airlines seeking to equip their existing aircraft fleets with IP connectivity to unlock new efficiencies for operations and safety.
Inmarsat’s SB-S platform is the world’s first and only global broadband solution for aircraft operational and safety communications, driving digital transformation in the airline industry. Combining cutting-edge satellite technology with secure IP connectivity, it provides airlines with capabilities and benefits no other satellite communications provider can deliver.
Operational advantages include enhanced aircraft fleet and crew management, predictive maintenance, disruption management and aircraft health monitoring via Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) applications, which can significantly reduce flight delays and fuel consumption.
Safety benefits include improved communications with ATC, digital data and voice communications, and flight data recorder streaming (also known as Black Box in the Cloud). Flight plans and arrivals can also be optimised by pinpointing aircraft in four dimensions, known as four dimensional (4D) operations, which include latitude, longitude, altitude and time.
John Broughton, Inmarsat Aviation’s senior vice president of Aircraft Operations and Safety, said: “SB-S is a key component in the global aviation industry’s move towards digital aircraft operations and safety, which will help to reduce fuel savings and environmental impact, cut flight delays and turnaround times, and revolutionise air traffic management.
“We are delighted to expand our hardware portfolio for SB-S through this new partnership with Avionica, providing customers with a cost-effective and lightweight terminal for their aircraft fleets. This is another important step forward for SB-S and comes soon after it received approval from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), validating the technology’s potential to maximise airline operational efficiency and safety for many years to come.”