 |
| Cobham’s SwiftBroadband system has been certified for the Shenzhen Airlines 737 fleet. Photo: Cobham |
[Avionics Today 03-03-2016] Cobham Satcom’s Aviator 300 SwiftBroadband (SBB) system has been certified on Shenzhen Airlines’ Boeing 737-800 fleet. Cobham partnered with Southeast Aerospace (SEA), China Trancomm, Inmarsat, and Delta G Design to develop the FAA Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) and Civil Aviation Authority of China (CAAC) Validation of Supplemental Type Certificate (VSTC).
The Aviator 300 system will be fitted with Inmarsat’s SwiftBroadband Safety capability for Airline Operational Communications (AOC) messaging on the Boeing 737NG aircraft with the aim to enable a secure data exchange between ground operations and aircraft. The Cobham terminal will also interface with the airplane’s existing Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System (ACARS), allowing the flight deck data messages to be carried over Inmarsat SwiftBroadband.
The new technology featured in the Aviator 300 will enable Shenzhen Airlines to comply with the CAAC’s mandate requiring airlines to operate and control voice communications independent of Air Traffic Control (ATC) within four minutes. The system features a compact an Intermediate Gain Antenna (IGA) and promises to deliver data speeds up to 332 kbps.
The Aviator 300 has already been certified for several aircraft, including the Boeing 757, Airbus 319, 320 and 321, Cessna 550, 550 Bravo and S550, Citation X, G200, Embraer 135 (Legacy 600/650) and Bombardier Challenger 300.