Condor Flugdienst, the charter affiliate of Lufthansa German Airlines, has installed the Rockwell Collins Integrated Information System (I2S) on two A320 aircraft as part of Condor's Aircraft Integrated Network (CAIN) project.
This project, which Rockwell Collins and Condor have conducted in Europe, tests the technologies required to link an aircraft-based intranet to airline terminal area databases.
The Collins I2S removes the necessity of relying on human effort to relay important information between the flight deck and the terminal while on the ground.
Diagnostics
Instead, data such as maintenance diagnostics, navigation data bases, flight plans, and graphical weather data are exchanged quicker and more accurately via a low-power microwave airport "gatelink" that automates the process.
The two aircraft installed as part of the CAIN project represent part of the fleet of Condor Berlin, a subsidiary of Condor. The remaining six aircraft in the fleet will also be equipped.
"Installation on a complete airline system allows us to study all the necessary infrastructure changes involving ground handlers, airports, maintenance, dispatch, and flight crews that are involved," says Edward St John, I2S programme manager.
The system is scheduled for activation this month. Supporting "gatelink" infrastructure is installed at Palma de Mallorca airport in Mallorca, Spain, and will be installed at Berlin Schönefeld and Leipzig-Halle airports in Germany.
Several applications will be phased in over the next eight months, beginning with crew e-mail, web browser, document library and viewer, and eventually including ARINC 615-3 automatic flight management system data loading, quick-access recorder software functionality, technical logbook, and advanced maintenance ground notification.
Source: Flight Daily News
