The Internet Of Planes

A seat registers that a passenger sits down, a wireless Bluetooth beacon contacts his phone to sync his registered preferences, and a notification is sent to the flight attendant’s smartwatch in the galley, enabling a personalised interaction that starts with “Good afternoon, Mr

No airline or connectivity provider wants to operate the first ever hacked aircraft.

Lee, great to see you on board again.
Would you like your usual gin and tonic or may I offer you this month’s special lime and ginger cocktail?” before he has even had a chance to connect to the superfast Wi-Fi.

This is the future of aviation, and airframers, airlines, connectivity providers, MRO operators and myriad integrators are working to make it a reality worldwide. More than the Internet of Things: this is the Internet of Planes.

Beyond the buzzword, the Internet of Things means that objects equipped with electronics, software, sensors and access to a network can transmit information without needing operational input from humans. The purpose? Improved efficiency, more data, and more information for humans who need to make decisions based on those data. In commercial aviation, the key to creating this brave new world is the network access: reaching the internet (or other internets, intranets or networks) in the sky.

Inflight online connectivity has historically been a morass of systems and brands, many of which are not visible to passengers, from Connexion by Boeing, through Gogo’s ATG and ATG-4 services,OnAir’s L-band, Ku-band service from Panasonic and Global Eagle, 2Ku from Gogo, high-throughput Ku-band from several providers, ViaSat’s Exede regional Ka-band and Inmarsat’s Global Xpress worldwide Ka-band coverage (for more on the latter, see elsewhere this issue).

These innovations are already revolutionising commercial aviation in four key areas: for the passenger experience, in the flightdeck, for cabin crew, and for operations, maintenance, repair and overhaul.

And one innovation leads to another. Working towards one initial goal (passenger connectivity for the passenger experience, say) can give an airline and its providers the technical understanding and reliability to start moving towards another goal relatively close by on the benefits chain (live credit card processing to reduce offline duty free purchase fraud). That itself can lead to others in a similar vein (adding tablet functionality for crew to offer frequent flyers upgrades with live processing of miles onboard the aircraft) or even further down the stream (experience certifying online security for financial transactions can be used to certify aircraft for safety services).

‘E-enablement’ will become just ‘enablement’

Of course, creating a connected aircraft (often called, in what now seems a dated sort of fashion, e-enablement) is the backbone of all these innovations. That in and of itself is a significant challenge: integrating satellite providers with airborne terminals, adding air-to-ground systems, combining it all with often legacy IT solutions, and only then being able to add the “things” to the flying Internet of Things is no mean feat.

Moreover, the question of how to connect from the backbone

The trick, of course, is to make the personalised greetings sound like they are real.

to the ground is a sensitive and complex one to answer, less around functionality than around security. “Aircraft are transmitting ever more data to ensure optimal safety and efficiency,” Inmarsat’s Asia Pacific boss Bill Peltola says. But what is the best way to do that? On the one hand, providers offering a broadband connectivity system (such as the several varieties of Ka-band or Ku-band packages) suggest that a single pipe can be secured adequately. On the other, providers offering narrowband connectivity systems (especially L-band) note that the narrower band, smaller satellites and less consequential drag of their systems are attractive in order to be able to entirely separate operational or safety services and passenger-facing systems.

The truth of the matter is likely in the middle, yet the impact of any issues – no airline or connectivity provider wants to operate the first ever hacked aircraft – would be significant. The demand, however, from passengers and from airlines, is clear.

As Katrina Korzenowski, SITA OnAir’s director AIRCOM, Asia Pacific, tells Australian Aviation, “Passengers now expect to be able to stay in touch when they are flying. Social media, email, text messaging and calls are the norm. ” “What’s new is that super-fast broadband for inflight connectivity now extends to new satellite networks for both passenger and airline use,” Korzenowski continues. “Airlines will be able to exchange data for operational purposes, and passengers will have the same internet speed they are used to at home. This is the new reality of inflight connectivity. ” “We see the connected aircraft as ultimately producing a more efficient airline all around,” says Niels Steenstrup, senior vice president of international sales at Gogo, best known for its air-to-ground cellular-based inflight connectivity network in North America. “This includes enhancing customer service and empowering cabin crews to boost productivity and enabling new revenue possibilities, providing more accurate information to maintenance and tech operational teams, and enabling efficiencies with improvements in real time data access. ”

The immediate need for inflight connectivity is for the passenger experience

Demand from passengers for inflight internet connectivity has never been higher, and that demand will continue inexorably to grow. With the trend towards both downstream video as entertainment (think YouTube, Netflix and Amazon Prime Video), plus both downstream and upstream video demand for communication (Snapchat, Facebook, Periscope, WhatsApp, LINE, Twitter, Instagram), connectivity systems designed before the age of high-definition front-facing cameras on most smartphones and tablets are creaking under the strain.

“We are all becoming digital omnivores, so expect to be able to use our phones, tablets and laptops all the time: being on a plane is no exception,” explains SITA OnAir’s Korzenowski. “Passengers can use the onboard mobile phone and Wi-Fi services. They can also stream inflight entertainment content direct to their personal electronic devices. ” The scope for use in the case of passenger experience is both wide and continuing to expand, from the existing apps, wearables, phones, phablets, tablets, laptops, and the many flavours of inflight entertainment systems to the next generation of devices and applications. “One thing that all ofthese things have in common,” says Gogo’s Steenstrup, “is that they are inherently meant to be connected. Moving forward with the notion of the connected aircraft can create numerous opportunities for Gogo to expand beyond our current offerings. ” Connectivity providers need to gaze into their professional crystal balls in order to predict, design, manufacture and put into operation today the systems that will provide connectivity for the next decade and beyond. Lufthansa, for example, is still today providing inflight Ku-band internet on a dozen aircraft using satellites that were originally installed to use the early 2000s Connexion by Boeing system, which itself was shut down by the airframer nine years ago. That the airline is using a 5 Mbps-capable airborne terminal on some aircraftwithin type subfleets and a 30 Mbps-capable airborne terminal on others (with identical FlyNet branding and access methods) is a problem for passenger expectations and consistency.

Despite the proliferation of systems in the decade since the internet started flying commercially, inflight connectivity is not yet a reality for Qantas, Virgin Australia, Air New Zealand, Jetstar or Tigerair. Connectivity is particularly notable in its absence over our skies because many of the joint venture, equity and investment partners of all three full-service airlines fly to Australia and New Zealand using aircraft with systems that include Panasonic Avionics’ Ku-band satellite product, which is overall the best option currently flying on most routes to and from Australia, and SITA OnAir’s L-band, which is notably slower. “Over 20 airlines around the world provide SITA OnAir passenger connectivity services,” notes SITA OnAir’s Korzenowski, “including several that fly routes to and from Australia, like Cebu Pacific, Emirates, Etihad, Philippine Airlines, Singapore Airlines, and Thai Airways. ” An important aspect of the experience for airlines is creating and distributing an effective way for passengers to use the airline’s connectivity in order to get a better passenger experience. United, for example, recently updated its own mobile app with a significantly improved set of terminal maps.

Yet there are tensions here. An airline looking to move its passengers through an airport to their departure gates with the goal of an on-time pushback will naturally focus on different

Australian carriers risk losing passengers to airlines that do provide connectivity.

important pieces of information than an airport which has a corporate goal of increasing passenger dwell time in its retail, food and beverage outlets. The consequences of an airline consciously or unconsciously guiding passengers in a way that minimises that spend are likely to be higher departure fees, since the books of many private sector-operated airports balance only because of non-aviation income.

Cabin crew applications are rising in number and importance

On the aircraft, airlines are also enabling cabin crew to deliver a better passenger experience – and a more efficient operation – with connected devices and bespoke apps.

Most recently, United Airlines distributed iPhone 6 Plus phablets to its cabin crew, with initial applications including a personalised greeting function. Crews are notified when it is a passenger’s birthday, frequent flyer program membership anniversary or when a passenger reaches a tier milestone. With the advent of mass-produced and increasingly functional smartwatches and other wearables, this trend is likely to spread, with competitor Delta already doing something similar.

The trick, of course, is to make the personalised greetings sound like they are real and being delivered by an enthusiastic representative of the airline rather than a monotonous platitude droned out by the less-than-engaged US flight attendants so familiar to many passengers. Meeting the motivational, training and customer service needs of cabin crew for delivering new services and information is just as important as meeting their technological needs.

And those needs will be increasing in scope. “Cabin crew needs vary from customer relationship management to bonded stock information to critical telemedicine apps that help mitigate medical diversions,” says SITA OnAir’s Korzenowski.

“Cabin crew have crew tablets, which both help improve customer relationship management and cut costs. Digitising what was previously paper-based gives the cabin crew access to much more information about the passenger, leading to a more personalised service. It also cuts significant amounts of paperwork and streamlines the reporting process,” Korzenowski elaborates.

Korzenowski gives the example of the Russian national airline, not best renowned internationally for its customer experience, as a carrier that is using the connected aircraft to deliver better service. “Aeroflot is a good example of an airline using CrewTablet. 2,000 iPad minis have been deployed across its fleet after an extensive trial. They both enhance customer relationship management and increase operational efficiency. ” Part of that efficiency is that crew apps also enable a new line of communication between crew and operations at an airline. As just one example, if a crew member can report a non-functioning item via a tablet and line maintenance is notified immediately, staff and parts can be waiting for the aircraft when it lands. And that also reduces communications load on the flightdeck, which is particularly useful for shorthaul flights or when navigating complicated flightpaths.

Connectivity is also increasingly useful in the flightdeck and ATC

“Airlines are very much focused on nose-to-tail connectivity,” Inmarsat’s Peltola explains to Australian Aviation. “While passenger applications are generally more recreational, airlines have alternative requirements in other parts of the aircraft that will help them tooptimise their operations. Flightcrew need very secure, reliable, robust connectivity for mission-critical AOC and ATC communications. ” SITA OnAir’s Korzenowski explains further: “Cockpit crew use electronic flight bags (EFBs) to make the flight smoother and more efficient. Live weather updates for the entire route enable the pilots to use the most efficient route to avoid bad weather, for instance. And reports are transmitted automatically from the EFB to the airline’s operations, cutting significant time and paperwork. ” Korzenowski uses the example of the Air France-KLM Group’s low-cost carrier arm Transavia as an airline currently using her company’s electronic flight bags, and refers to “a major European airline with a fleet of over 200 aircraft” that is currently trialling the live weather update function of the SITA OnAir package. “Aircraft are transmitting ever more data to ensure optimal safety and efficiency,” Inmarsat’s Peltola says.

That’s certainly true within air navigation, where, “for ATC, air traffic controllers use connectivity both to increase safety and ATC capacity, providing immediate benefits for all airspace users and controllers during each phase of an aircraft’s flight, including en route and airport environments. Increasing capacity ensures air navigation service providers can make increasingly efficient use of their resources, keeping costs under control without jeopardising safety,” says SITA OnAir’s Korzenowski.

Maintenance and ops gain major benefits

A key part of the benefits from an operations and maintenance perspective is the additional lead time that airlines, maintenancestaff and MRO operators gain from receiving extensive automated information from the aircraft itself over broadband connections (whether real-time in flight or in a batched upload on the ground over cheaper connections) rather than channelling the information flow over narrowband, through flightdeck communications, or via paper logs.

SITA OnAir’s Korzenowski explains: “Aircraft data and maintenance teams have access to real-time analysis aircraft data, thereby avoiding unplanned maintenance during turnaround and improving reporting. Maintenance time is also reduced by automating aircraft data distribution to support software part updates. ” It’s not just about “fix me now” responses, it’s about providing a big data wider picture of how every key connected component of an aircraft (and the type fleet it belongs to) is performing. If a part or series of parts is performing above or below expectations, airlines (or their contractors) can identify and act on that information.

Managing that information flow and converting it to real business intelligence that can be used is also key. But that intel isn’t just about operational efficiency – it can be a significant part of air accident investigation, as the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 showed.

A significant part of the investigation so far into the disappearance of MH370 has focused on communications from the aircraft’s onboard aviation terminal to Inmarsat’s I-3 F1 satellite, using post-event analysis of burst timing offset and burst frequency offset data from the communications provider. Since the disappearance, there has been a marked push for real-time tracking of aircraft. “Flight operations can enhance safety by tracking every flight at all times, throughout the world, using existing technology and communications channels. A number of airlines around the world are already using SITA OnAir’s FlightTracker, including Air Costa, Air Asia India, Azul, Malaysia Airlines, Norwegian Air Shuttle, Oman Air, Singapore Airlines and Royal Brunei Airlines,” says SITA OnAir’s Korzenowski.

Australia is ripe for connectivity innovation

“Australia is a big market, served by numerous daily flights from carriers all over the world and the majority of them offer connectivity. There is a lot of potential in the Australian market, but the adoption of connectivity has not followed the trend in the rest of the world – the US, Europe and Asia,” SITA OnAir’s Korzenowski tells Australian Aviation.

“The launch of GX Aviation, Inmarsat’s global Ka-band network, will bring high speed broadband to the aviation market in Australia for the first time. This has the potential to provide the catalyst for Australian carriers to start using inflight connectivity. Once one airline starts, we fully expect others to follow suit. ” “We know passengers often choose flights based on the availability of connectivity, so Australian carriers risk losing passengers to airlines that do provide connectivity,” Korzenowski says. “There is a significant amount of potential for the integration of new technology, solutions and applications. SITA OnAir is putting a lot of effort into both developing new solutions and providing the environment for the integration of technology developed by third parties. Australian airlines risk becomingless competitive because they are not taking advantage of the efficiency savings connectivity can provide. ” Says Gogo’s Steenstrup: “We’ve looked into the Australian market and conducted a global study based on the wants of the Australian airline passenger. According to Gogo’s global study, 70 per cent of air passengers are interested in inflight connectivity, despite the lack of connected aircraft currently operating in Australia. The appetite for infight connectivity and communication services is there and presents a very significant opportunity.

Steenstrup says Gogo sees “a great opportunity” in the Australian market. “Our newest generation satellite technology, 2Ku, provides an excellent opportunity for the Australian market given the low profile antenna and reduction of operational weight and drag. 2Ku will offer twice the spectral efficiency of competing solutions on the market, which means more bandwidth for less cost. ” ”Within Australia, bring your own device (BYOD) is already here, for example, and we are examining the potential of wearable technology in the cabin, for both passengers and cabin crew. The Australian market is catching up in its adoption of connectivity technology, which will make it more competitive,” Korzenowski sums up, carefully categorising the Australian market as “catching up”. The implication, of course, is that it is not currently with the international pack in the connectivity race.

With the benefits of increased connectivity clear to an increasing number of international carriers, Australia’s airlines need to ensure that they’re not left behind.