The paperless cockpit and passenger cabin will soon be a reality if the Rockwell Collins/Condor-led Integrated Information System (I²S) programme shows the future of airline communications.
A marvellous but obvious idea - applying the universal components of the ground-based computer industry to airline communications. Such information management systems linking an aircraft-based intranet to airline terminal area databases could be the must-have solution to growing airline communication problems.
The potential for wireless gatelink-type technology is huge, with applications in all areas - from cockpit, cabin and maintenance operations to ground handling, passenger communications and in-flight entertainment. The technology's proponents make big promises for the systems, ranging from greater operational efficiency to more enjoyable flights for passengers, thanks to new entertainment and communication options.
Applying ground-based information technology to the airline environment appear an obvious solution, but, as with all revolutionary moves, it takes someone to stick their neck out to lead the effort. Lufthansa subsidiary Condor has done just that.
The I²S -based Condor Aircraft Integrated Network (CAIN) project is a collaborative programme at its best. Condor, a relatively small airline in industry terms, has committed significant resources and two years to developing an open system architecture which is set to have wide-ranging benefits for the whole of the airline industry. A handful of airports - Palma de Mallorca, Berlin Schoenefeld and Leipzig - have already been quick to recognise the potential of the technology.
But what is needed for such a programme to become an industry solution is widescale commitment to ensure benefits for all. The signs are there that this momentum will be maintained. Rockwell is fully committed to the initiative, identifying it as a cornerstone of its future activities, while Condor is convinced that within 10 years the whole industry will be using such wireless gatelink systems.
With the weight of a major carrier such as Lufthansa behind the programme, the support of airframe manufacturers such as Airbus, certification hurdles cleared and growing interest from airlines, all that remains is probably the hardest task of all - building a firm business case.
Source: Flight International
