AIRFIELD OPS
- Vehicle Management System. American Eagle Airlines is currently implementing I.D. Systems’ AvRamp wireless vehicle management system to manage a fleet of aircraft ground support equipment at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. AvRamp is a wireless asset management system that controls, tracks, and directs the activity of ground support equipment and the people who operate it; www.id-systems.com
- Fleet Management. Currently in use at Toronto Pearson International Airport, the iRamp system by Katlyn International is designed to track and manage vehicles operating within an airport. The system collects and analyzes engine data, attached auxiliary devices, and GPS location data and presents exception-based reports through a centralized Web-based system. The system enables fleet operators to improve productivity, safety, and security while reducing operation, fuel costs, and emissions, according to the company; www.katlyn.com
- Filtration System. Velcon’s Contaminant Analyzer uses laser sensing technology to act as a final stage quality check of the last filtration, to ensure that the fuel being loaded onto commercial airliners is clean and dry, says the company. Automatic shutdown will stop flow as soon as wet or dirty fuel is sensed; www.velcon.com
ENVIRONMENT
- Energy Efficiency. Mineta San Jose International Airport is now utilizing Optimum Energy’s OptimalHVAC software solutions in an effort to improve HVAC energy efficiency. In the first five months of operation, the airport’s HVAC system has saved more than 235,000 kilowatt hours of electricity, which equates to utility savings of more than $35,000, and a carbon footprint reduction of nearly 300,000 pounds of CO2, according to a company press release; www.optimumenergyHVAC.com
FLIGHT TRAINING
- Synthetic Training. Frasca International has unveiled the first integrated flight training device (FTD) with virtual air traffic control commands. Designed for general aviation pilot training, SAFTE (synthetic automated flight training environment) incorporates simulated flight plans with voice recognition technology to deliver real-world flight experience, allowing the pilot to receive specific commands from the virtual air traffic controller; www.frasca.com
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
- • Intelligent Processing. The PassPortal is a flexible easy-to-use solution from ServiceTec that allows full passenger identity and travel documentation to be captured, validated, and recorded without delaying the check-in boarding processes, according to the company. The system captures all relevant information from a passenger’s ticket or passport, and writes it into a database without any need for information to be manually keyed in; www.servicetec.com
- • Mobile Radio. SITA, specialist provider of IT communications solutions to the air transport industry, has partnered with The Netherlands-based Rohill, a developer of professional mobile communication systems. The partnership will offer airports, airlines, and ground handlers a solution that is designed to meet their needs on an open, scalable, flexible platform;
www.sita.aero - • Weather Website. AccuWeather.com announces its improved website launch. The redesigned website allows the user to personalize a page while offering expanded functionality and a breadth of weather data. Included among the additions to the new website is the enhanced radar — a Level II super-resolution NEXRAD radar with 16 times the resolution of the traditional Doppler radar; www.accuweather.com.
RETAIL
- • Self-Order Kiosks. Nextep Systems offers Terminal Express, a complete touch-screen ordering system, which provides a variety of features, ease of use, and an opportunity to increase sales in the airport food and beverage environment, the company says. The Terminal Express digital menu boards utilize animation, video, and product images to draw customers. The digital signage also provides new marketing and branding opportunities, as well as tools to change instantly menu items, prices, and promotions; www.nextepsystems.com
SECURITY
- • Passenger Management. Skyservice Airlines, a Canadian charter airline, and SITA, aviation IT specialists, announce the completion of a fully-integrated passenger management system. The system allows the Department of Homeland Security to take control of vetting passenger names against the government’s watch list, prior to departure of aircraft, and then automatically deliver authorization to airlines to issue, or not issue, boarding passes as each passenger checks in; www.sita.aero
- • Explosive Detection. Boston’s Logan International Airport recently became the first airport in the U.S. to test technology designed to detect concealed explosives. The security screening tool has a stand-off capability for the detection of metallic and non-metallic person-borne concealed items, says UK manufacturer Qinetiq.
The sensor is a real-time, non-imaging, passive millimeter wave system that detects concealed objects through clothing.
According to the Boston Herald, the system can scan more than 300 people per hour in crowds at distances up to 46 feet.
