FALL 2012 | #44

1 Chairman’s Perspective

2 ARINC Selected for FAA

NextGen Data Communications

Contract as Part of Harris

Corporation Team

4 ARINC to Upgrade Ground

Stations to Support Europe’s

Air Navigation Service Providers

with CPDLC Compliance

Datalink Provides 100%

Coverage

5 Air Traffic Services in Latin

America and the Caribbean

7 The Growth of ARINC’s

GLOBALink/HFDL Network

8 VHF Voice - Service

Enhancements and Expansion

10 “We Want to Hear from You!”

12 New OpCenter Features

13 GLOBALink/Inmarsat:

Satellite Services

14 Known Crewmember Initiative

15 Techno-Talk: FANS, ATN CPDLC

and the Future Evolution

2551 Riva Road, Annapolis, MD 21401 USA | +1 800.633.6882 | arinc.com

A Newsletter for the Aviation Industry

The Global Link

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Chairman’s Perspective

Information Technology for today’s airlines has to be more efficient and sophisticated than

ever before. Maximizing efficiency and safety and reducing costs, all while enhancing the

customer experience, is a complex challenge that requires the knowledge and expertise

developed from more than 80 years of providing mission-critical aviation communications.

Thirty years ago, ACARS® revolutionized air-to-ground communications, transitioning an

entire industry from legacy, voice-reliant systems to data link. ACARS maintains its position

as the industry standard for aviation communications and is the most trusted, proven, and

reliable program available, with a 99.999% availability rate.

Today, ARINC technology is being maximized to develop and implement e-enabled programs

that provide advanced information management systems designed to improve overall flight

operations by creating fully customized, integrated communications management of flight

operations, data communication services, cabin services, maintenance, diagnostics, and

safety information.

Using the successful implementation of e-enabled technology for Cathay Pacific as a

launching point, ARINC is working with airlines around the globe to introduce the unlimited

potential of e-enablement and introduce them to the freedom of choice that comes from

ARINC e-enablement. Our worldwide economy depends on aviation, and e-enabled aircraft

represent a solid foundation to create more consistency and commonality throughout the

industry while providing cost-effective and groundbreaking solutions designed to meet

airlines’ business needs and operational requirements.

It is ARINC’s longstanding history as agents of the airlines that has positioned us as the only

company that fully understands both the user and the market from a comprehensive and

overarching perspective. Building on the successes of the past to grow the future is how

ARINC continues to stay ahead of the curve in a rapidly changing and ever-evolving industry.

John BelcherChairman and Chief Executive Officer,ARINC

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Maureen “Mo” Woods Senior Technical Director, GLOBALink Air Traffic Services, ARINC

tel: +1 410.266.2811 maureen.woods@arinc.com

Voice & Data CommunicationsGL OBALink

ARINC Selected for FAA NextGen Data Communications Contract as Part of Harris Corporation Team

Annapolis—ARINC Incorporated has been selected for an FAA contract to provide highly

reliable air/ground data communications services as part of a team led by Harris Corporation.

Harris is the prime contractor for the seven-year, $330+ million contract, which includes 10

one-year options that could significantly increase the value of the award through 2029.

Known as Data Communications Integrated Services (DCIS), the contract is one of the

essential parts of the FAA’s Next Generation Air Transport System (NextGen) initiative and

will enable real-time communication between controllers and flight crews via modern digital

data transmissions that replace analog voice technology, allowing aircraft to fly safer, more

efficient routes and ease congestion in major metropolitan areas nationwide. DCIS will

improve controller productivity by automating the delivery of routine clearances and will move

the FAA toward its ultimate vision of trajectory-based operations.

ARINC will support Harris by providing integration and engineering services for the air-ground,

ground-ground, and avionics domains as subject matter experts in networking, protocols,

and VHF Data Link. ARINC will maximize its partnerships with 85% of the domestic airline

market to encourage early adoption of avionics equipage that meets requirements for

data communications. ARINC will assist operators with the evaluation of existing avionics

equipage and offer recommendations on possible avionics upgrade solutions so that airlines

can participate in the FAA’s $80 million avionics equipage early adoption incentive plan.

“ARINC’s existing airline relationships and network infrastructure were two critical factors

in our decision-making process,” said John O’Sullivan, Vice President, Mission Critical

Networks, Harris Government Communications Systems. “Their avionics suite lab and

Air/Ground Data Link

1 Seamless Global Network

180 Airlines10,000 Aircraft

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NextGen Data Communications Infographic, Click graphic to enlarge

avionics qualification program will enable us to immediately show the airlines how their

participation will result in cost savings. From day one, we will be able to work toward

maximum value for the FAA,” O’Sullivan continued.

“Harris Corporation recognized the true value of ARINC’s existing relationships and

communication systems and asked us to join them as a teammate. We look forward to

continuing a positive and productive working relationship throughout the life of this contract

and beyond,” said John M. Belcher, ARINC Chairman and CEO.

The NextGen program represents a comprehensive overhaul of the national airspace system.

Upon full implementation, the program will help prevent accidents through advanced safety

management, reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 14 million metric tons, reduce fuel usage

by 1.4 billion gallons, improve communications to provide better information to airline

employees and passengers, and restore flexibility to a system that is nearing the point

of growth inhibition. The FAA has set 2025 as the goal to fully transform the current

aviation system.

ARINC SELECTED FOR FAA NExTGEN DATA COMMUNICATIONS CONTRACT AS PART OF HARRIS CORP. TEAM CONTINUED

Click graphic to view video

NextGen Data Communications | ARINCMEDIA

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Voice & Data CommunicationsGL OBALink

ARINC to Upgrade Ground Stations to Support Europe’s Air Navigation Service Providers with CPDLC Compliance

ARINC is to upgrade approximately 50 ground stations

in 2012 through to early 2013 to ensure Europe’s Air

Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs) are connect to the

ARINC network before the EC’s February 2013 deadline

for the implementation of Controller-Pilot Data Link

Communications (CPDLC). ARNC already had some 200

ground stations in Europe alone which also growing as part of

its larger deployment plan for its GLOBALink infrastructure in

the EMEA region.

To comply with the European Commission Data Link

Implementing Rule, the European ANSPs affected by the

2013 milestone will need to accommodate CPDLC data

messages sent from airlines using ARINC’s VDLM2 network as well as airlines using other

data link Service Providers.

“As part of our commitment to the European Transport community ARINC is working with the

ANSPs to ensure they can communicate with all aircraft operating in European airspace and

in doing so, ensure that the airlines continue to have a real choice of network provider”, said

Andy Hubbard, Managing Director, ARINC EMEA.

Under EC Regulation No 29/2009 the “core” ANSPs in Europe must be operating CPDLC,

based on VDL Mode 2 avionics, for Air Traffic Communications in upper airspace. From

February 2011 all new aircraft have had to be equipped with a CPDLC system and by

February 2015 a significant number of older aircraft must be retrofitted with CPDLC.

Datalink Provides 100% Coverage

ARINC’s Global VHF infrastructure is growing rapidly in the Middle East and Indian

subcontinent. It is enabling airlines to utilize ARINC’s low cost ACARS network worldwide and

with the ability to add ARINC’s exclusive HF data link network to their aircraft capability, they

will benefit from 100% coverage for all operational applications.

Yanko K. VidevTechnical Support Manager,Aviation Solutions, EMEAARINC

tel: +44 1293 64 1368 yanko.videv@arinc.com

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In-Flight ApplicationsGL OBALink

Air Traffic Services in Latin America and the Caribbean

ARINC’s ongoing commitment to Latin America and the Caribbean (LATCAR) region is

strengthened by our close working relationships with local civil aviation and communication

authorities. We are working various initiatives with the region’s Air Traffic Service providers

including projects to enhance the regions ATM (Air Traffic Management) technologies and

aviation communications.

As our work within the region grows, so does our staff. We are proud to introduce Manny

Gongora as the latest addition to our GLOBALink LATCAR team. Manny comes to us from

IATA where as Assistant Director for Safety, Operations and Infrastructure, he successfully

supported the industry’s efforts to advance operations and infrastructure in Latin America.

Prior to this, he was Manager of International ATC and Flight Operations for Latin America

& Caribbean at United Airlines.

Air ground data link is an integral part of the modernization of air traffic services. As

advocated by ICAO, an increasing number of air traffic service providers around the world are

utilizing ACARS to enable data link based air traffic services (ATS) and procedures. Manny

will work with the region’s service providers to promote ARINC’s ATS services such

as TowerHost, Departure Clearance, Digital Automatic Terminal Information System (DATIS),

and FANS.

Veronica Fernandez-Lozano Business Manager, Aviation Solutions, ARINC

tel: +1 410.266.4008 veronica.lozano@arinc.com

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In-Flight ApplicationsGL OBALink

LATCAR’s air traffic controllers traditionally use voice radio to communicate critical departure

route information to airline flight crews. ARINC’s solution—TowerHost—offers the benefits of

computerized clearance without requiring modifications to the airlines’ central computers,

using industry-standard ARINC 623 data link protocol. Departure Clearance (DCL) allows the

flight crew to communicate directly with the airport tower via data link to obtain clearances

and reduces the number of voice messages used over congested VHF frequencies. The

technology provides a new level of efficient flight management for air traffic controllers by

reducing the number of ATC delays at busy airports. It also improves safety by the reducing

potential communication errors between pilot and controller.

In 2010, Tocumen Airport in Panama became the first airport in the region to implement

the ARINC’s TowerHost system. Since its introduction at this growing airline hub, frequency

congestion and operational delays have been significantly reduced. ARINC worked in close

cooperation with the Direccion de Aeronautica Civil of Panama for this successful first in the

region. Numerous airlines have already benefited from this service and demand is strong for

implementation of this system throughout the region.

This year, SENEAM working in a joint effort with ARINC implemented and tested our DCL

TowerHost and D-ATIS system at Mexico City International Airport, one of the busiest in

the region. At the push of a button, the D-ATIS system brings clear, concise, and critical

local airport operational information to flight crews via ACARS, and provides clear, crisp

transmission of information via voice VHF radio broadcast, in Spanish and English. The

TowerHost DCL system eases frequency congestion and delivers clear, error free departure

clearance authorizations to ACARS equipped aircraft.

In 2012 ARINC also worked with the Aeronautica Civil of Colombia to test and implement

a DCL TowerHost system to serve the highly congested airport of El Dorado in Bogota. This

has resulted in a significant decrease in delays during peak departure times, and better

utilization of the airport’s resources. The airlines serving El Dorado have also benefitted from

enhanced operational efficiencies.

We will continue to grow our partnership with the region with an emphasis on providing

efficient, user friendly, communications solutions that enhance aviation operations within the

LATCAR community.

Digital ATIS

Global Weather and Runway Messaging

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LEGS FNC PROG EXEC

DEL SP . / CLR

FIX

NAVMENU

NEXTPREV

HOLD

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The Growth of ARINC’s GLOBALink/HFDL Network

Due in part to its global reach to include the Polar Regions, ARINC’s GLOBALink/HF data link network has witnessed significant growth in terms of participating airlines and data link traffic each and every year since service inception in 1997. And over the years, ARINC anticipated this growth and added additional capacity to include new HF ground stations and ground station frequency assignments. As a result, uplink message success rate and overall customer satisfaction, along with participating aircraft, continues to climb.

To ensure ongoing optimal performance, ARINC continuously monitors and enhances the overall HFDL system. When an anomaly is encountered, ARINC’s HF engineering team isolates and resolves the problem utilizing diagnostic data specifically incorporated into the design of the HF ground station and the onboard avionics.

Defined in ARINC 635, the onboard avionics gather diagnostic data on the HFDL on-board radios and transmits that data to the ground during idle time or when the ACARS message size is smaller than the size of the data slot. The data is stored and decoded by ARINC engineers and processed to search for or compile specific data elements.

Data comes in two different formats: frequency and performance packets. The frequency data packets show the frequencies scanned and ‘heard’ by each aircraft data radio. Reviewing these packets helps us determine if a radio receiver is degrading or an antenna coupler is weakening. This information is also used to determine which of the 15 transmitting stations is not heard at that moment in time and place by the aircraft.

The performance data packets contain even greater detail. This data enables the HFDL team to determine such items as length of time HF voice was used, number of data packets received/transmitted using the four available speeds, the first-try success rates of the downlinks, the software version of the radio, and most importantly, the reason why the radio changed frequencies.

How can this forensic data help our customers? Using this data, the ARINC team recently worked with an aircraft manufacturer in diagnosing the cause of an unexpected ‘NO COMM’ condition in a well-covered region. Using this diagnostic data we were quickly able to isolate the problem, identify the cause and verify the fix. The team has also used diagnostics to assist in the development and refinement of cockpit procedures as well as to significantly increase link reliability through ground station software operation logic.

So if you suspect a problem, contact the GLOBALink HFDL team. We have the tools and the expertise to find a solution!

John Patterson Principal Engineer, Customer Services, ARINC

tel: +1 410.266.4249 john.patterson@arinc.com

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VHF Voice - Service Enhancements and Expansion

ARINC is dedicated to providing superior VHF voice service for aviation. Our goal is to ensure superior performance with an ongoing program of performance monitoring and enhancements. We have recently completed a successful restructuring of our Domestic VHF voice network in the United States and added additional coverage in the Caribbean and Pacific.

The ARINC Air/Ground Domestic Radio VHF voice service has successfully been restructured from 12 separate networks into 6 regionally divided networks operating on 6 frequencies across the continental United States. This change improves the ease-of-use for the air crews while maintaining the high quality of service and availability our customers have come to expect.

The network restructuring is the final phase of a system-wide technology refresh. The initial phase included the conversion to digital connectivity, followed by the replacement of analog radios with state-of-the-art digital transceivers. The digital connectivity and new radios have demonstrated greater voice clarity, improved reliability, and enhanced real-time network monitoring. The digital technology also allowed ARINC to quickly complete the network restructuring, with minimal service interruption.

The Air/Ground Domestic Radio (AGDR) VHF voice service provides en route airline operational control (AOC) communications at 20,000 feet and above. AGDR supports air carrier compliance with Federal Aviation Regulation (FAR) Part 121.99 to

Kim Wellschlager Engineering Program Manager, Aviation Voice Services, ARINC

tel: +1 410.573.3565 kimberly.wellschlager@arinc.com

ARINC-1 Jeppesen Chart with footnote that ITO and GUM coverage can be found on the ARINC-4 Jeppesen Chart, Click graphic to enlarge

Air/Ground Domestic Voice

Voice Comms for AOC

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VHF VOICE - SERVICE ENHANCEMENTS AND ExPANSION CONTINUED

provide rapid and reliable, two-way radio communications between each airplane and appropriate dispatch office. VHF voice remains an industry standard widely used by air carriers, Charter, General Aviation operators, and by the FAA for Air Traffic Control.

ARINC has also expanded VHF voice coverage with sites in Providenciales (PLS), Turks and Caicos in the Caribbean, Hilo, Hawaii (ITO) and Guam (GUM) in the Pacific. The addition of PLS provides seamless coverage en route to San Juan, Puerto Rico. The sites at ITO and GUM augment HF voice coverage on approach and departure and support local operations.

Voice remains the primary means of communications for critical, non-routine situations and an essential service for today’s aviation operators. Our continued investment in Air/Ground VHF Voice offers our customers a highly reliable and extensive network structure. ARINC remains fully committed to the future of VHF voice radio for aviation.

Air/Ground InternationalRadio

HF AOC Voice Comms

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“We Want to Hear from You!”

ARINC’s Customer Portal brings together service and billing data/statistics to provide you, our

GLOBALink customer, with a user friendly, web-based, interactive tool, accessible anytime

and anywhere. The Portal brings together historical data such as network utilization trends,

ACARS message statistics, billing statistics, and of course the GLOBALink coverage maps.

It also provides access to real-time network performance management and near real-

time GLOBALink ACARS message traffic. Through the Portal, you can easily initiate service

requests or change orders, trouble tickets, or any help desk communication.

Since the Customer Portal was first introduced over five years ago, we’ve continually

enhanced its features and capabilities. But we’re not done, as your requirements continue

to evolve, so will the capabilities of the Portal. We are committed to providing you with the

information and analytical tools you need to help make your job easier. You asked for a

quicker way to determine the current operational status of GLOBALink ground stations. As a

result, we introduced the GLOBALink Site Operational Status page which provides an at-a-

glance list of sites that are currently off-line as well as site operational records for the past

14 days. The feedback to date has been very positive and we want to hear from you.

Other customer driven enhancements include the GLOBALink Message Auditor page and the

GLOBALink Custom Reports page.

The GLOBALink Message Auditor page contains tools to view and search your airline’s ACARS

message traffic from the past 90 days. Through the GLOBALink Message Auditor Query form,

you can retrieve up to 48 consecutive hours of ACARS messages exchanged with all of your

aircraft, one aircraft, a flight, or a ground station. Query results are downloadable to a PC

for offline examination using the GLOBALink Message Auditor Tool or other standard

business tools.

The GLOBALink Custom Reports page allows you to view airline specific reports or data on-

line. This feature is tailored to meet your individual needs and may include Quality of Service

Reports or other service performance data such as message traffic, uplink/downlink success

rates, and service availability. Ready access to current and historical service information

within the Customer Portal complements the dynamic analysis capabilities with ARINC’s

Automated Invoicing and Statistics Data Warehouse.

Barbara Carlsson Senior Business Manager, GLOBALink Data and Information Services, ARINC

tel: +1 410.266.2198 barbara.carlsson@arinc.com

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“WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!” CONTINUED

ARINC’s Automated Invoicing and Statistics System is an integral part of the ARINC

Customer Portal providing electronic access to billing and service statistics. Using pre-

formatted reports, graphs or multi-dimensional analysis cubes, you can quickly check the

current status of your accounts and analyze a wealth of statistical invoice-related information

in a single view. All information is easily exported for further analysis with existing tools.

We are constantly striving to make the ARINC Customer Portal a better, more usable tool

that will provide you with the information you need to make your job easier and get more

value out of the GLOBALink Services.

We need your help to make it the best tool possible and we want to hear from you. What

future enhancements would you like to see? You can use the “Contact Us” button on the

Portal or you can contact your GLOBALink Implementation Manager directly to discuss

additional features. Your Implementation Manager can also provide support with any of the

current Portal features. Your GLOBALink Team is dedicated to your success and is committed

to improving and enhancing our services to meet your evolving needs.

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Voice & Data CommunicationsGL OBALink

Yuri Maslov Senior Program Manager, GLOBALink Information Management, ARINC

tel: +1 410.266.4504 yuri.maslov@arinc.com

New OpCenter Features

ARINC’s OpCenter is a comprehensive message broker that supports airlines and aircraft

operators around the globe. The service is flexible and often tailored to meet individual

airline requirements. In addition, we frequently introduce new features, capabilities and

enhancements for the benefit of all users.

ARINC is pleased to introduce two new OpCenter features:

“What’s New” and “Feedback”

The “What’s New” button keeps OpCenter customers “up-to-date” on new features

and applications.

The “Feedback” button provides our customers with a simple way to communicate

comments, suggestions, and questions on current features as well as suggestions

for enhancements or improvements.

You can find the “What’s New” and “Feedback” buttons at the bottom of the

OpCenter home page.

OpCenter

Web-based Data Link Messaging Solutions

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Voice & Data CommunicationsGL OBALink

GLOBALink/Inmarsat: Satellite Services

GES Harmonization Across I-3/I-4 Networks

During their annual aviation conference in June of this year, Inmarsat announced that plans

are underway to harmonize the current I-3 and I-4 Ground Earth Station (GES) networks.

Their objectives include having discussions with service distribution partners and

end-users prior to transitioning to the I-3 sub-network GES infrastructure. The new I-3

system architecture, developed primarily by SED, a satellite systems manufacturer and

integrator, should result in a highly stable and standardized platform, which along with the

existing SED-based I-4 network, becomes the basis for the combined Classic Aero and

SwiftBroadband-Safety services offering. This combined service offering complies with the

Required Communication Performance 240 (RCP 240) industry specifications. Through

coordination with Inmarsat, ARINC will advise its partners and customers on what these

changes mean to the aeronautical satellite community and when transitions to the new

infrastructure will commence.

Inmarsat Terminal Activation Procedures

While commissioning new satellite terminals, airlines should review the operational

applications on each Inmarsat Service Activation Registration Form (SARF) to ensure the

correct services are configured and utilized. If incorrect service options (such as a voice-only

request for Data-2/ACARS equipped aircraft) are selected upon terminal activation, this may

cause degradation in satellite communications performance across the Inmarsat ground

earth stations due to inconsistent database information. If the service option information

is not readily available through your avionics engineering or flight operations departments,

ARINC or your local Point of Service Activation (PSA) center can determine how your satellite

terminals are registered for service.

Tom McCullough Director of Operations, Satellite Services, ARINC

tel: +1 410.266.4986 thomas.mccullough@arinc.com

Continuous Coverage Anywhere in the World

SATCOM

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Voice & Data CommunicationsGL OBALink

Tim Ryan Director, Aviation Communications Services, ARINC

tel: +1 410.266.4856 timothy.ryan@arinc.com

Known Crewmember Initiative

The ARINC CrewPASSSM Service recently marked its fourth year of operational trials with the

signing of an agreement between ARINC and Airlines for America (A4A – formerly known

as the Air Transport Association – ATA). The agreement with A4A represents the start of a

Government-Industry initiative to launch this service under the Known Crewmember™ (KCM)

brand – KCM is a trademark of Airline Pilots Association International. With the launch of this

program, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has approved the KCM program

for operation deployment at 31 airports nationwide. The KCM System has already been

deployed operationally at more than 20 airports, with the remainder due to go-live before

the end of the year. The latest status of KCM deployments and other related information can

be found at the KCM website: www.knowncrewmember.org.

ARINC developed the CrewPASS service in response to a 2007 Congressional mandate for

expedited TSA screening of U.S. domestic airline pilots and cabin crewmembers. Since it

was first deployed in 2008 CrewPASS/KCM has screened more than 1.6 million pilots. In

July, TSA announced the inclusion of flight attendants into this highly successful risk-based

security initiative. The expansion of the program, to include flight attendants, will allow TSA

more flexibility in the utilization of its key resources within the nation’s airports.

Starting in September ARINC will begin deploying an enhancement to the existing KCM

System which will speed up the processing of crewmembers through each KCM airport

access point. Known as ARINC’s Minimal-Queuing TechnologySM, this enhancement

leverages barcode technology to help identify a crewmember and automatically query

real-time employment information from the crewmember’s airline. Today it takes

approximately 25-seconds to clear a crewmember through KCM. This new highly-integrated

concept will enable the Transportation Security Officer to clear a crewmember in less than

10-seconds.

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GL OBALinkRadio Installation & Maintenance

Stephen R. Leger Director, GLOBALink Test and Support Services, ARINC

tel: +1 410.266.2169 stephen.leger@arinc.com

Techno-Talk: FANS, ATN CPDLC and the Future Evolution

Since the early 1990s, the FANS service has offered the airline community the benefits of

improved flight routes that reduce fuel consumption and flight times during trans-oceanic

travel. FANS is one element of a larger air traffic modernization concept referred to as

Communications, Navigation, & Surveillance (CNS) Air Traffic Management (ATM). Within the

U.S., the FAA will soon proceed with the next step in ATM modernization, by implementing

the NextGen program. The initial rollout of this program will leverage data communications

and the well-established FANS applications. In Europe, as follow-on to the Link 2000+ ATM

program which began in 2000, the Single European Sky ATM Research (SESAR) program

will soon be entering into the deployment phase. In light of these developments, we will

review the fundamentals and common terms of the FANS program, compare that to the

Aeronautical Telecommunications Network (ATN) ATM program in Europe, and then look to

the future and expected convergence of these programs.

FANS – The Beginnings:

The FANS concepts were first developed under International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)

in the 1980s. Early FANS flight test trials were conducted over the Pacific Ocean during

the early 1990s and led by key participants including Boeing, the FAA, United Airlines,

and Qantas Airlines. This led to operational acceptance of FANS and the certification of

FANS-equipped 747-400s in 1995. FANS was made possible through the application and

integration of merging technologically advancements such as improved navigations systems

and digital communications that could be leveraged to provide both Air Navigation Service

Providers (ANSPs) and aircraft operators with real and measurable benefits.

In the area of navigation, the introduction of the Global Position System (GPS) provided a

reference input and insured the accuracy of the aircraft Inertial Navigation System (INS);

which previously could drift and introduce several miles of inaccuracy over an extended flight.

In the area of communications, the introduction of Inmarsat-based satellite and ACARS

data link communications augmented a communications means that had been handled

by High Frequency (HF) Voice since the 1940s. As compared to the slower HF voice,

data link communications quickly and reliably addressed messages to each aircraft and

included embedded error checking functions insuring the crew is presented with valid and

error free information.

These technical advances, along with automation, form the basis of improved safety and

efficiency in a FANS environment.

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FANS Benefits:

Both airlines and ANSPs benefit from FANS.

For an airline, these benefits are the automation of routine crew procedures, such as the

preparation of routine position reports which were delivered via voice or created manually

every 45 minutes. Automated position reports are typically created and sent at 5 minute

intervals and provide the airline the ability to travel more efficient routes reducing both flight

times and fuel consumption.

From an ANSP’s viewpoint, automation increased the rate and accuracy of position reports

and provides better aircraft tracking and surveillance. The vertical and horizontal separation

between aircraft can be greatly reduced – allowing for greater density of aircraft along the

oceanic routes without compromising safety.

FANS Technical Implementation:

At the core of FANS are three fundamental applications that were developed based

on several industry standards including those of the Airline Electrical and Electronic

Committee (AEEC) and the Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics (RTCA). These

three applications are: the Aeronautical Facilities Notification (AFN), Automatic Dependent

Surveillance (ADS), and Controller Pilot Data Link Communications (CPDLC).

•  AFN is defined in industry standard AEEC 622 and provides the foundation for an aircraft 

to find and connect or log onto an ATC facility. This standard provides special provisions

that allow the crew to learn of and subscribe to certain FANS services that are offered by

the ground Air Traffic Center (ATC). AFN also allows for the proper ANSP handoff as the

aircraft leaves one oceanic Flight Information Region (FIR) and enters another. AEEC 622

also has special provisions for addressing messages to and from the ATC provider. The crew

selects an ATC facility from a list of ANSPs. A downlink Log-On request will traverse the

satellite network and be delivered to the data link service provider (DSP). The DSP uses the

embedded ATC facility address to route the message to the correct ATC facility that could be

located anywhere in the world.

•  ADS establishes a service where the aircraft can automatically send position reports at 

a fixed interval which is set by contract between the ATC center and the aircraft. Within the

aircraft, the ADS function is hosted in the aircraft Flight Management System (FMS) and

relieves the crew from manually creating position reports. The rate of position reports can

be set and adjusted, as needed, by the ATC Center; therefore this type of ADC service is

usually referred to as ADS-C for Contract-based position reporting. The definition for the ADS

function and formats can be found in AEEC Standards 745 and 622.

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GL OBALinkRadio Installation & Maintenance

TECHNO-TALK CONTINUED

•  The CPDLC function, which is also hosted in the FMS, is a digital and text-based version 

of the previous voice based pilot-to-air-traffic-controller dialogue that has been successfully

used since the 1940s. Instead of calling down by high frequency (HF) Voice, for each

change in aircraft movement, the crew can send a request via data link and receive a text

response back from the ATC controller. Data-based CPDLC offers significant improvement

in speed, accuracy, and safety of this essential ATC exchange. The message sets and the

CPDLC function are defined in EUROCAE standard ED-100 or RTCA standard DO-258.

The CPDLC is comprehensive and includes over 180 uplink message types and 80

downlink types.

There is one additional important provision for the FANS service and that is the ACARS

Convergence Function or ACF which is defined in AEEC standard 622. The FANS

applications within the FMS are bit-oriented applications. In the 1990s, the ACARS service,

developed in 1978, was the only accepted data link communications system available for

aircraft to ground communications. However, the ACARS protocol is a character-oriented

communications system and would not be directly compatible with the FANS data. The ACF

function is employed both in the aircraft FMS and the ground-based ATC system. It converts

the bit-oriented data into a character-based packet format before handing it to the ACARS

data link system for transportation. Upon receipt of a FANS message transported over

ACARS, both the ground ATC and the FMS system translate the encapsulated message back

into its original bit-oriented state before handling the FANS function.

Many aircraft manufacturers, including Boeing and Airbus, have developed and certified

FANS-equipment and applications that are available in the Flight Management System

(FMS). Boeing referred to the initial FANS product as FANS-1. In early 2000, Airbus

developed FANS capability for their A330 and A340 fleet and named their product as

FANS-A. In approximately 2004-2005, Airbus released an update to their initial FANS

product and certified it for the A320, A330, and A240; it was identified as FANS-A+.

Taken overall, the current FANS program is frequently referred to as FANS-1/A+.

FANS Today:

Based on the early success, today over 30 oceanic FIRs and some Upper Information

Regions (UIRs) now provide support for FANS-1/A. These include FAA, Nav Canada, UK

NATS, Fiji, Airways New Zealand, Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB), Airservice Australia,

and Nav Portugal.

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Initially developed for ATC in the Oceanic Region, there are established plans to use

the proven and well defined FANS application for land-based operations. Within the

Continental USA, the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA’s) initial DataComm program

will begin an ATC services modernization program using aircraft equipped with the FANS

applications. Since the mid-2000s, EUROCONTROL has been conducting ATC trials with their

Link2000+ program using a similar but non-FANS application referred to as Aeronautical

Telecommunications Network (ATN) CPDLC. In the near-term, EUROCONTROL will be

providing air traffic control and preferred routes to aircraft that can support either ATN

CPDLC or FANS.

ATM Concepts for Domestic Operations:

Although the need for improved ATM when operating in a domestic and highly congested

environment remains; the concepts and requirements will be different as compared to

a FANS oceanic environment. For example, within domestic airspace, with primary and

enhanced surveillance radars and microwave landing systems (MLS), the ADS function

would not be required. However, with reduced aircraft-to-aircraft separation, the need for

high-speed data communications would be greater than that of the FANS world.

ATN CPDLC:

The ICAO solution for ATM in a domestic high-density airspace is based on the Aeronautical

Telecommunications Network (ATN) CPDLC service which is defined in ICAO Documents

9705 and 9896, EUROCAE ED-110B/RTCA DO-280B and EUROCAE ED-120 / RTCA D0-

290, as well as AEEC Standard 631. There are both parallels and differences between the

ATN CPDLC and the FANS concepts.

The data communications for ATN CPDLC is based on a VDL Mode 2 communications

media which provides a data rate of 31.5 kbits/s. Unlike FANS which uses legacy character-

oriented, packet protocols, and bit-to-ACARS translators, the ATN network can handle the

bit-oriented CPDLC messages directly using ISO-compliant connection oriented-protocols.

The ATN service is based on Context Management (CM) connections which has its parallel

to the AFN functions in FANS. The ATN CPDLC service provides approximately 63 uplinks

and 26 downlink application messages. In comparison, the ATN CPDLC message set is

more limited than that of FANS. One important avionics distinction between FANS and ATN

CPDLC is that all FANS implementations have been hosted in the FMS and the data link

management unit, referred to as a CMU or MU serves as a communications router.

However, in all ATN implementations thus far, the CPDLC application has been hosted in

the data link CMU.

VDL Mode 2

Data at the Speed of ACARS

10x

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GL OBALinkRadio Installation & Maintenance

TECHNO-TALK CONTINUED

Many avionics and aircraft manufacturers, including Rockwell-Collins, Honeywell, Airbus,

and Boeing have ATN CPDLC avionics systems readily available for integration into existing

aircraft. Boeing refers to their ATN-compliant equipment as ATN-B1 (ATN Baseline). Airbus

refers to their equivalent equipment as FANS-B.

Link 2000+ and SESAR:

EuroControl’s ATN CPDLC service is known as Link 2000+ and has been in operational use

in Europe since 2000. It has been both a technical and programmatic success, providing

measurable benefits to all participants. Based on this success, EuroControl has announced

plans to expand the current boundaries of the ATN CPDLC service (Maastricht Upper Area

Control Centre) into much of Europe. This expanded program is referred to as the Single

European Sky ATM Research Program which will integrate the fragmented ATM methods

within Europe.

Today the Key Link 2000+ Applications include:

• Data Link Initial Capability (DLIC)

• ATC Communications Management (ACM)

• ATC Clearances (ACL)

• ATC Mike Check (AMC)

Emerging ATM Concepts:

As discussed previously, the FANS and ATN CPDLC have many parallels but are not

duplicative in their functions and applications.

The Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics (RTCA) and EUROCAE have organized

a committee, SC-214/WG-78, that is working jointly to develop new standards that will

define the safety, performance and interoperability requirements for Air Traffic Services

(ATS) supported by data communications. With the introduction of FAA’s NextGen program

in the U.S. and the SESAR program in Europe, the function of this group is of particular

importance. One objective of the group is to review the differences and define a future

international standardization to merge the differences across programs such as FANS and

ATN CPDLC.

Several aircraft and avionics manufacturers have been developing aircraft implementations

that will integrate both FANS and ATN applications on the same aircraft; Boeing refers

to their implementation as FANS-2. Boeing’s implementation will move the ATN CPDLC

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functions (ATN-B1) from the CMU into the FMS. By hosting both FANS-1 and ATN CPDLC

applications in the FMS the aircraft and crew, via the same interface, seamlessly transition

between an environments where ATM is managed through ATN CPDLC and one that is

managed by FANS-1/A and visa-versa. These two applications must always operate serially

and a common host system will support this concept.

Based on the current work of SC-214/WG-78, a new ATM baseline may emerge which may

then be referenced as FANS-C or FANS-3.

ARINC Test FANS and ATN CPDLC Test Support:

Long before the start of FANS and ATN CPDLC, ARINC has been actively involved in the

development, testing, and support of AOC and ATN applications. ARINC has developed and

delivered ground-based FANS end systems and was the first to have a EuroControl-approved

ATN network in Europe.

More recently, ARINC has been contacted by many customers for certification and flight test

support both in the U.S. and abroad. In response ARINC has deployed two ATN CPDLC End-

Systems and a FANS End System. These test end systems are accessible through any of the

GLOBALink media and are well suited for the testing of FANS-1/A, ATN CPDLC, and FANS-2

implementations. ARINC has the equipment, staff, and expertise to support the industry as

needed; please inquire if we can be of assistance.

arinc.com