Inmarsat (LON: ISAT) has announced Lufthansa Systems is the latest partner for the company's Aviation Certified Application Provider (CAP) Program.
The Aviation CAP Program provides a catalog of connected safety and operations applications. With third-party applications tested, optimized and certified for use on Inmarsat’s SB-S platform, airlines can focus on the benefits of digitization without having to worry about integration risks. SB-S entered commercial service in April as the first and only global aviation broadband solution for operations and safety communications, providing airlines worldwide with unparalleled, secure visibility into their operations.
Inmarsat has accredited Lufthansa Systems’ Lido charting applications, which are already being used by over 120 airlines around the world for their flight operations. These provide pilots with digital navigation charts, documents and messages, and are available on both Windows and iOS. All this information will be delivered to Inmarsat SB-S customers in real-time to simplify flight preparation, streamline cockpit processes and enhance pilots’ situational awareness during flights, reducing the workload that pilots currently face trying to manually find this information through existing non-connected systems.
Lido charting applications use a worldwide aeronautical navigation database, including navigation aids and approach and departure procedures for individual airports. Colored navigation charts give pilots access to true-to-scale information, such as the height of mountains and course of rivers, and tactical data including weather updates that can be updated throughout the duration of the flight.
SB-S is in commercial operation with Hawaiian Airlines and is in in-flight evaluations with United Airlines and Shenzhen Airlines and has also been selected by Airbus as a Light Cockpit Satcom (LCS) solution on its A320 and A330 families. The platform is available through a global network of leading distribution partners including Rockwell Collins, SITAONAIR, and China Transport Telecommunication Information Group Company Limited (CTTIC) / Aviation Data Communication Corporation (ADCC) in China. A range of terminal equipment is available from Cobham SATCOM and Honeywell.
John Broughton, Vice President, Safety and Operational Services, at Inmarsat Aviation said that the introduction of this navigation software to the SB-S platform is a great commercial advantage for the company's customers, who can now use the application to drive decision making in the cockpit. Inmarsat's Aviation Certified Application Provider Program provides airlines with cutting-edge operational technologies and assures the highest levels of safety in the skies. Lufthansa Systems’ Lido charting applications boast richness of information, reliability and an unrivaled customer base.
Dr. Bernd Jurisch, Head of Flight & Navigation Products & Solutions at Lufthansa Systems, added that the Inmarsat Aviation CAP Program certification demonstrates the firm's commitment to making real-time total mission optimization a reality for airlines. Lufthansa has been working closely with Inmarsat to ensure current and future applications are perfectly suited to airlines using Inmarsat’s SB-S to drive operational improvements via real-time data feeds, closing the gap between cockpit and ground, and opening up significant cost-saving opportunities for shared customers.
