Flight data soon to be sent live through satellite communications technology

The decades-old conventional flight data recorders found in every commercial airliner might soon be replaced, or at least supplemented by a feed of recorded data to a land-based server.

Mobile satellite communications service company Inmarsat announced last month that its SwiftBroadband-Safety (SB-S) service has been selected by aeroplane manufacturer Airbus as a cockpit communications solution for the A320 and A330 aircraft families.

Airlines will also benefit from a myriad of new digital applications, such as flight data streaming, which is also known as ‘black box in the cloud’, thereby allowing flight data to be recorded to a server, instead of solely being recorded on conventional hard drive-based recorders.

Other benefits include continual positional awareness for flight tracking and electronic flight bag applications for pilots, such as graphical weather for improved situational awareness.

The SB-S technology will feature in the Airbus A320 single-aisle and A330 wide-body aircraft as an advanced Internet protocol-based broadband communications platform, which will be available with equipment from aircraft systems company Cobham Satcom’s Aviator S-series, as selected by Airbus.

According to Inmarsat, the implementation of SB-S technology will mark a “paradigm shift in aviation safety and efficiency”. Using Inmarsat’s global L-band satellite network, the technology delivers faster data and voice communications, owing to its unprecedented speed and capacity, which are several orders of magnitude greater than cockpit communications systems in the market today, the company states.

These advanced capabilities are set to transform the quality and security of cockpit communication and information shared between pilots, air traffic controllers and airlines, with Inmarsat’s satellite technology also ensuring consistent, high-speed global coverage for SB-S.

The inclusion of the A320 family of aircraft will also position SB-S as an advanced light cockpit satellite communication solution on single-aisle Airbus aircraft. The selection was possible as SB-S is delive0red through advanced airborne equipment that addresses factors which have traditionally impacted on demand in the single-aisle market, such as size, weight and cost.

Inmarsat states that 80% of commercial aircraft in the world employ a single-aisle.

Inmarsat Aviation safety and operational services VP Captain Mary McMillan says: “This is testament to SB-S’s ability to deliver an always on, always secure cockpit solution for the digital age, with expanded connectivity and reliability.”

She adds that Inmarsat has been delivering critical safety information to the world’s airlines, private jet operators and government agencies for over two-and-a-half decades. “In the past, these services were almost exclusively used by airlines travelling in areas not served by traditional radar, such as routes over the ocean or remote locations.”

However, she notes that growing aircraft congestion and the need for increased data security has led Inmarsat to develop a new generation of satellite communication services to provide a wider range of benefits.

“SB-S will introduce unprecedented new capabilities, allowing airlines to significantly improve flight safety operations and provide a more efficient service to passengers. Airlines also benefit from continuous monitoring of aircraft performance and fuel usage,” says McMillan.

Cobham’s Aviator 200S and 700S systems, will provide a seamless connection between the aircraft cockpit and Inmarsat’s extensive global satellite network. Under Cobham’s contract with Airbus, the equipment will be fitted onto the aircraft from 2018.

Cobham Satcom Aero VP Kim Gram says: “Inmarsat has made an immense contribution in the forward progression of our industry, from the development of the original idea of smaller and lighter satellite communications hardware, continuing its influential work in industry standardisation groups, to the ultimate deployment of services on its global satellite network.”