Avionica on Continental

Avionica said it won orders from Continental Airlines to outfit nine B737-800 passenger aircraft with advanced Iridium satellite systems to provide global, low-cost voice and data communications. Miami-based Avionica said the Continental aircraft will be equipped with its satLINK Iridium system, including antenna, wiring, structural elements and a control panel. The initial installations will provide an Iridium phone handset in the cockpit, which is expected to be augmented by a wireless cabin handset and integration with the aircraft’s communications management unit (CMU) with a mid-year upgrade. Continental has selected ARINC to provide the voice and data services for the satLINK Iridium systems. ARINC’s GLOBALink/Iridium service is the first to offer Aircraft Communication Addressing and Reporting System (ACARS) messaging using Iridium. “The application of Iridium satcom services will eliminate the sole dependency on standard radio communication methods which are subject to range limitations over isolated areas,” said Jun Tsuruta, Jr., senior director of technical purchasing for Continental. “This means that flight crews are not out of touch like they once were. This is a welcome technological breakthrough that ensures global safety and communications in every sense of the word.”