Techbytes Mar11

Sept. 5, 2014

Airport Handling Data

airportdata.aero, a new pre-flight planning tool was launched in early February. The service provides essential information to the air transport industry on all major commercial airports worldwide (over 5,500), listing contact details and technical data, as well as the full range of airport service providers, according to a press release. HighLine, the company behind the site, has been providing specialist international airport handling data to the AC-U-KWIK brand of products for the past 12 years. HighLine developed the airportdata.aero service in response to feedback from airline customers who were unable to find a single information source with the depth of information required for commercial operations; www.airportdata.aero.

Automated Charter Processing

JetUs, a corporate travel company that offers aggregated, online private jet reservation services, announces a partnership with Sabre Travel Network’s GetThere, a travel and collaboration management solution. As a result of the new partnership, GetThere customers can now make private jet reservations online within the GetThere application via the JetUs online marketplace. Designed specifically for the corporate travel industry, the JetUs on-demand private jet software suite and reservation platform automates the charter process, according to the company; www.getthere.com.

Cloud-Based Common-Use

ARINC Incorporated today announces it has installed a remotely hosted common-use departure system for multiple airlines in 89 days at the new departure lounge of London International Airport. The deployment was ARINC’s fastest ever for a multi-airline implementation of its vMUSE Enterprise technology, says the company. vMUSE Enterprise provides full common-use functionality without the usual need for on-site server hardware and core rooms, and their recurring maintenance. The technology replaces dedicated departure gates previously used by Air Canada, WestJet, and United Airlines; it may be expanded incrementally to accommodate any number of positions and carriers; www.arinc.com.

Communications Solutions

AvFinity announces that it was selected as a preferred partner of SITA’s operation-critical communications solutions to the air transport community in North America. Under the agreement, AvFinity will promote SITA Type B messaging services as a component of the communications solutions it provides to regional and low cost carriers as well as airports in North America.  SITA’s offerings available to AvFinity as a preferred partner include Type B, Type X, and EDI messaging; SITATEX; and SITATEX software development kit; www.sita.aero.

NTSB Enters Social Media

The National Transportation Safety Board has established a Twitter account and a YouTube channel as the Safety Board; the handle for the Twitter account is "ntsb"(www.twitter.com/ntsb) and the YouTube channel is "ntsbgov" (www.youtube.com/ntsbgov). The NTSB will use Twitter to communicate with those interested in its investigative work and advocacy programs to enhance transportation safety. The YouTube channel will be a resource where the Safety Board's advocacy video messages, transportation accident animations, and other video products can be accessed; www.ntsb.gov/.

Online Regulations

A new IATA, ICAO, and OAG web solution puts the latest Dangerous Goods by Air regulations online. Airlines, freight forwarders, and shippers can now gain faster access to the latest regulations and information for the carriage of dangerous goods by air with the launch of DG Online. DG Online combines industry publications in an online format:  The IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations Manual (DGR), the ICAO Technical Instructions (TI), and the ICAO Emergency Response Guidance manual (ERG).   free 30-day trial of DG Online can be accessed at: www.dgonline.aero.

Sun ‘n Fun App

Sporty’s, in partnership with Sun 'n Fun, has created a mobile app for the 2011 show, available free through the iTunes App store. After downloading the free app, pilots can use it to buy advance tickets for Sun 'n Fun and shop for supplies or charts for the trip. The complete Sun 'n Fun NOTAM is included for arrival and departure procedures, aerial images, notices, and more; the app does not require an internet connection and works on all Apple devices, including iPad, iPad2, iPhone, and iPod touch; www.sun-n-fun.org.

Visual Paging Services

The Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) announces that visitors now have access to visual as well as audio paging services. When an audio page is made from the airport's Information and Paging Office, that same message is posted in text form for travelers who are deaf or hard of hearing. Each message paged from the office scrolls across the bottom of the weather screens, which are co-located with the airport's flight information displays and is simultaneously posted to a "paging history" screen located at each of the airport's information booths. The scrolling messages continue for several minutes, while the historical messages typically stay visible for several hours following the original page. Within several months these same pages also will be available on the airport's website, www.MSPairport.com.

Web-enabled Rewards

THANKS AGAIN has signed an agreement with The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) to enable airport customers to automatically earn extra airline miles when they park onsite at the three largest airports in the New York metropolitan area: JFK, Newark, and LaGuardia. Passengers can enroll in the program for free at www.thanksagain.com/airports and earn additional airline miles; this includes an opportunity to earn up to 4,000 bonus miles every 90 days based on cumulative registered card purchases at airports and with local businesses nationwide; www.thanksagain.com/airports.