Universal Launches Connectivity-enabled Avionics Ecosystem

Universal Avionics (UA, Booth 2545) is announcing its FlightPartner and FlightReview applications and is offering customer demonstrations this week at NBAA-BACE. The applications will be available by the end of the first quarter of 2022 and mark the first step in UA’s goal of creating a connectivity-enabled ecosystem across its avionics.

Connected to Universal’s WAAS/SBAS-enabled flight management system (FMS) by introducing Wi-Fi enablement of existing equipment, the iPad-hosted apps streamline and enhance interactions between the flight team (pilots, maintenance personnel, among others) and the FMS before, during, and post-flight. The apps enable interactions between the FMS and the apps, and between the tablet and UA’s cloud-based infrastructure for data analytics. By providing relevant analytics of each flight, they enable operators to optimize flights and aircraft availability.

UA’s connectivity ecosystem is designed to give customers a connected, open, and data-centric environment to enhance mission preparedness on the ground, in the air, and post-flight. The ecosystem uses a cyber-secure, portable, and cloud-based platform to deliver avionics-centric solutions and support services, including the use of third-party applications and content.

“FlightPartner and FlightReview are UA’s early steps in a push towards the creation of a dynamic connectivity ecosystem, tying our various avionics systems to a suite of applications and expanded services that our customers will be able to use 24/7/365,” said Universal Avionics CEO Dror Yahav.

FlightPartner enables operators will be able to build, brief, and file a complete flight plan on their tablet using a convivial graphical interface, upload it to the FMS upon aircraft power-up, and dynamically alter it throughout the flight, directly on their iPad. It is coupled with the navigation data of the FMS. When connected to ground infrastructure, FlightPartner facilitates access to weather information and can speed flight planning by prepopulating the flight plan with winds and temperatures aloft. By automatically connecting with the operator’s account on UniNet, FlightPartner will upload the latest databases to the tablet, and at the appropriate time ensure seamless and secure delivery of them to the onboard FMS.

FlightReview enables flight and maintenance crews to review performance, pinpoint issues, and optimize operations with accurate data, supporting tools, and analysis. It exchanges data between the FMS and the tablet and automatically uploads it to UA’s cloud-based infrastructure, enabling flight departments to view and analyze the content specific to their operations from any location.

China's civil aviation is in a new stage of historical development, aviation transportation has steadily and rapidly improved in speed, quality and efficiency, its proportion in the national comprehensive transportation system has increased year by year, the total turnover of air transportation has continued to rank second in the world since 2005. With the rapid growth of the domestic civil aviation market and the impact of emerging business models such as online tourism on the company's traditional business, the traditional management and operation methods have been unable to match the company's development requirements. CAAC issued the Implementation Opinions of CAAC on Promoting the Construction of New Infrastructure and Promoting the High-Quality Development of Civil Aviation and the Five-Year Action Plan of CAAC on Promoting the Construction of New Infrastructure, Guided by "digital perception, data decision-making, lean management and meticulous service", with the construction of industry infrastructure base and smart ecology as the core, select key environments and application scenarios, and lay the foundation for accelerating the digital operation of civil aviation industry through concept innovation, mechanism innovation, process innovation and technological innovation.

Under this background, Aviation Digital Operation Technology International Forum 2021 is planned to be held in Xiamen city from November 18 to 19, 2021, the theme of this forum is “Focus on digital empowerment and accelerate the intelligent development and reform of civil aviation in China”, pay attention to the multi-domain and multi-agent digital transformation and intelligent upgrading of airlines, hub airports and operation support units, focus on the main contents of smart travel, smart logistics, smart operation, smart supervision, public services and innovation infrastructure, improve aircraft operation safety, operation efficiency and production organization capacity, and promote the high-quality development of the industry.

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