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FLYHT is pleased to announce it has, as part of the acquisition of Panasonic Weather Solutions (PWS) (previously announced Oct. 10, 2018), reached an agreement with AirAsia to increase its installation base at the airline by an additional 100 aircraft across multiple Airline Operations Control (AOC) centres.
This extension of the original hardware and service agreement with AirAsia signed in October 2015 brings the total number of equipped aircraft to 190. Installed in conjunction with the FlightLink aircraft tracking and flight deck communications system, Tropospheric Airborne Meteorological Data Reporting (TAMDAR) atmospheric sensors feed weather data from equipped AirAsia aircraft into AOC and Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) weather products that will have greatly improved accuracy as a result of the TAMDAR technology.
Key enhancements to the products and services in this extension include the addition of an A320neo Supplemental Type Certificate (STC), improvements to the AirMap suite of AOC applications, including a TAMDAR-enhanced weather overlay and partnered operational weather solutions empowering improved operational planning and flight optimization. These additions will also enable greater fleet management, communications and aircraft tracking, ensuring aircraft stay connected to the airline’s ground-based operations centers 24 hours a day with an improved awareness of weather throughout AirAsia’s network.
FlightLink uses Iridium’s global satellite-based communications system to support flight deck voice and data communication and autonomous GPS-based flight tracking everywhere AirAsia flies. Additionally, the system provides fully-integrated data communications for the aircraft’s ACARS (aircraft communications addressing and reporting system) and operational weather modeling needs. FLYHT acquired the FlightLink, AirMap and TAMDAR sensor product lines in October 2018 through its acquisition of the PWS assets.
AirAsia first installed the FlightLink system and activated AirMap services in 2016 and has since then installed the FlightLink system on nearly 80 aircraft. The financial impact of the remaining 110 installs was included in the press release noted above announcing the PWS asset acquisition. The services provided on these aircraft include:
- ICAO-compliant (International Civil Aviation Organization) aircraft tracking and alerting capabilities tailored for Malaysian and other regionally-specific regulations;
- Data and voice communications via global Iridium network, with aggregated voice and short burst data;
- Flight tracking, flight plan deviation, and fuel alerting in the AOC via AirMap Aircraft Situational Display; and
- Weather data downlink of relative humidity, temperature, winds, icing and turbulence.
By installing the FlightLink system and TAMDAR sensors on its aircraft, as well as AirMap fleet tracking and innovative weather technology in its operations, Air Asia is leading the industry in IATA safety and fleet management initiatives.
The new amendment requires the following enhancements and improvements to the system currently in use as the primary AOC display for AirAsia:
- An A320neo STC for FlightLink and TAMDAR;
- Integration of real-time TAMDAR weather data into the AirMap display;
- Integration and delivery of an AOC weather display enhanced by TAMDAR data; and
- Integration and delivery of Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) weather applications enhanced with TAMDAR data.
