Airline IT Trends
SITA announces the launch of the 13th annual Airline IT Trends Survey which shows that airlines carrying 57 percent of the world’s passenger traffic have reported a real increase in IT and Telecommunications (IT&T) expenditure and are ready to spend on passenger mobile services and other transformative technology. Overall, operational IT&T spending has remained stable at 1.8 percent, but this represents a significant increase in actual expenditure following a return to profitability in the last 12 months after two years of recession. Despite concerns about market conditions and fuel prices, the outlook for 2012 is also positive with 54 percent of respondents expecting budgets to increase; www.sita.aero.
Airline Streaming
American Airlines is the first North American airline to begin testing the new inflight streaming video product from Aircell which will offer the airline’s customers an inflight entertainment option. The new product will allow customers to wirelessly stream content such as movies and TV shows from an inflight library to their personal Wi-Fi-enabled devices during flight.American, partnering with Aircell, is currently testing the new inflght video system on two Boeing 767-200 aircraft in transcontinental service, and plans to begin customer testing early this summer; www.aircell.com.
Airport Transit Guide
The 25th Edition, covering ground transportation at 460 airports worldwide, has been completely revised for 2011, with more than 10,000 changes since the last print edition, which it replaces. The free Lite Version features Denver and Hong Kong only. The app is downloadable to iPad and iPod as well as iPhone. Complete informations is available at www.airporttransit-guide.com.
Aviation Docs
OBDS announces the release of Aviation Docs, a paperless flight deck solution for business jet fleet operators to securely and selectively route all documents, emails, and flight plans to pilots' Apple iPads. Pilots can now capitalize on electronic features, such as search, hyperlink, and annotation support. This new release provides fleets with a new standard in document delivery that is economical, reliable, and compliant with regulations for paperless operation, says the company; www.obds.com.
Complimentary Wi-Fi
The City of Austin Aviation Dept. and Boingo Wireless have partnered to launch a complimentary Wi-Fi service for leisure travelers at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. The new service component includes 30 minutes of complimentary access for casual users in addition to the premium access for power users already available. The hybrid service offering allows Austin-Bergstrom to provide a convenient amenity to leisure travelers watching their budgets, while preserving robust network availability for business travelers who require reliable connections while on the road; www.abia.org.
CrewPASS
ARINC Incorporated says its CrewPASS expedited screening service for airline pilots and crewmembers is the only screening solution proven to deliver three primary capabilities requested by the Transportation Security Administration for crew screening. Real-time employment verification, integrated biometric identity verification, and verification of mixed flight deck and cabin crews were three major system goals outlined by the TSA in its original request for crew screening proposals in 2009. CrewPASS was developed by ARINC in response to a 2007 Congressional mandate for expedited TSA screening of airline pilots and crewmembers; www.arinc.com.
Flight Risk Analysis
PRISM has enhanced its well-known Flight Risk Analysis Tool (FRAT). The new PRISM FRAT v2 tool is a key feature of their Aviation Risk Management Online Resource (ARMOR). ARMOR is a web-based tool that provides operators with a system that all employees can gain required access to at any time while allowing the safety officer the ability to manage all elements of a Safety Management System (SMS) with a laptop and internet connection. Features include: search features that dissect and analyze risk parameters; powerful data management tools create a clear picture of risk segments; email communication that streamlines risk notification;www.prism.aero.
Future Checkpoint
IATA unveils plans for an airport security system intended to sharply reduce check-in time. The International Air Transport Association says the new system would feature iris scanners to match a passenger's eye to a passport and information chips inside passports to identify passengers who might pose a security risk. Travelers would pass through one of three 20-foot tunnels and be subject to different degrees of searches depending on the level of security risk. The system should be in place within five years; www.iata.org.
Online Human Factors
Florida Institute of Technology’s College of Aeronautics will offer a new Master of Science online program in human factors in aeronautics starting fall 2011. Human factors refers to the field of study that identifies the principles of human and machine interaction, which are applied to the design and operation of complex systems. The field is an applied science that relates to real-world events as well as rigorous research rooted in cognitive, physiological and engineering theory; www.fit.edu/apply.
