CommercialAlaska Hacked Like Equifax: Industry Needs to Evolve to Prevent Repeat A month after Alaska Airlines closed its acquisition of Virgin America in December 2016, the Seattle-based airline had been hacked. Alaska discovered a malicious threat actor known to the U.S. Defense Department had abused…
RegulationGetting Beyond the FAA's Part 107 BVLOS Waiver Application There are several guidelines all drones operating in U.S. airspace must follow, such as remaining within the pilot's line of sight. But there are waivers the FAA is granting for some beyond-line-of-sight…
ATM ModernizationControlling the World's Air Traffic with a Frequentis Tower Engineer Hannes Schrittwieser has traveled all over the world installing and customizing air traffic solutions for Frequentis. That travel is one of his favorite things about the company, which famously has flexible work hours…
MilitaryUTC Acquires Predictive Analytics Provider Predikto United Technologies Corp. (UTC) has acquired Atlanta-based provider of predictive analytics software Predikto for an undisclosed sum. The acquisition continues UTC’s effort to improve its ability to determine operational life cycles and…
ConnectivityAirplane Modems Not Vulnerable to 'Backdoor' Cyber Attacks Cybersecurity consultant Ruben Santamarta used a "backdoor" vulnerability to demonstrate his ability to hack into a commercial airplane's satellite internet modem. The vulnerabilities did not put safety-critical avionics systems at risk…
MilitaryF-35: Under the Helmet of the World's Most Advanced Fighter One of the F-35 Lightning II’s most impressive and controversial components is the $400,000 helmet produced by a joint venture between Rockwell Collins and Elbit Systems of America. Plagued by issues —…
CommercialHow Are Airlines Adjusting to Higher Jet Fuel Prices? The price of jet fuel is currently 36.5% higher than it was one year ago. Commercial airlines are reducing the number of flights on certain routes and considering increased fares to offset…
Embedded AvionicsAireon ALERT To Aid Search-and-Rescue Efforts with Free Space-Based ADS-B Tracking The pre-registration period opened Wednesday for the Aireon ALERT program, a free service offered jointly by Aireon and the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) aimed at helping to track aircraft in emergency situations.…
UnmannedTrump Nominee for DHS Undersecretary Advocates Anti-Drone Bill Legislation in the Senate permitting the use of technology to defeat potential threats from drones is necessary to enable the testing and evaluation of these technologies in operationally relevant environments, a Department…
MilitaryLeonardo CTO Talks Tempest: Vision for Future Fighter's Advanced Avionics U.K. Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson unveiled a concept model for a sixth-generation fighter jet at the 2018 Farnborough International Air Show. Called the Tempest, it is intended to eventually replace the Royal…