Connected Aviation Intelligence Podcast

WINGX Talks Global COVID-19 Business Aviation Flight Activity in July

On this episode of the Connected Aircraft Podcast, Richard Koe, managing director, WINGX Advance GmbH provides insights into what the up and down global flight activity in July across business and commercial aviation means for the industry’s COVID-19 recovery. 

According to WINGX`s weekly global market tracker, global business aviation traffic saw an overall 20 percent decline compared to 2019, an improvement on the 30 percent deficit in June year-over-year, but a step backwards from mid-July when activity was approaching 85 percent of last year´s volumes. 

Have suggestions or topics we should focus on in the next episode? Email the host, Woodrow Bellamy at wbellamy@accessintel.com, or drop him a line on Twitter @WbellamyIIIAC.

 

Check out our publication Avionics International @AvionicsMag + www.aviationtoday.com.

Check out the latest updates for our annual event, the Global Connected Aircraft Summit, www.gcasummit.com.

Join our Avionics Inernational LinkedIn group to suggest topics we should cover in our podcast, publications and events. www.linkedin.com/AvionicsMag.

XOJET Aviation Vice President Talks Flying Through the COVID-19 Pandemic

On this episode, we’re joined by Tyler Stubblefield, vice president of flight operations for XOJET.

Stubblefield provides some perspective on how business aviation operators such as XOJET have seen new interest in private air travel amid the drastic changes to the way commercial airlines operate due to the COVID-19 global pandemic. XOJET has also adjusted cleaning processes and logistics for arriving at a fixed based operator (FBO) airport and chartering a flight.

According to Stubblefield, membership-based private aviation operator also recently switched its headquarters from California to Florida and has not grounded any aircraft or removed any pilots from service in an effort to remain ready for what they feel will be a nearer term recovery in business jet travel demand.

Have suggestions or topics we should focus on in the next episode? Email the host, Woodrow Bellamy at wbellamy@accessintel.com, or drop him a line on Twitter @WbellamyIIIAC.

 

Check out our publication Avionics International @AvionicsMag + www.aviationtoday.com.

Check out the latest updates for our annual event, the Global Connected Aircraft Summit, www.gcasummit.com.

Join our Avionics Inernational LinkedIn group to suggest topics we should cover in our podcast, publications and events. www.linkedin.com/AvionicsMag.

 

 

FlightAware CEO Talks COVID-19 Air Traffic Trends

On this episode, we're joined by Daniel Baker, CEO of FlightAware. 

FlightAware operates the world's largest flight tracking and data platform. Baker provides insights on how air traffic is slowly starting to go back up since the lowest levels that occurred in April and May due to COVID-19 pandemic related air travel restrictions. 

Baker also explains how FlightAware is introducing new artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms into its global flight data platform.

Have suggestions or topics we should focus on in the next episode? Email the host, Woodrow Bellamy at wbellamy@accessintel.com, or drop him a line on Twitter @WbellamyIIIAC.

 

Check out our publication Avionics International @AvionicsMag + www.aviationtoday.com.

Check out the latest updates for our annual event, the Global Connected Aircraft Summit, www.gcasummit.com.

Join our Avionics Inernational LinkedIn group to suggest topics we should cover in our podcast, publications and events. www.linkedin.com/AvionicsMag.

 

Jet It CEO Talks Flying Private in Connected HondaJet Elite

Jet It is a business aviation operator launched in 2018 that operates a fleet of HondaJet Elite aircraft and has introduced a unique business model to the private travel market.

The company uses days rather than hours to sell shares of aircraft to customers, and this allows owners to only pay for the direct operating costs of the aircraft. That equates to $1,600 an hour.

Jet It currently operates a fleet of five HondaJet Elites, with plans to add more throughout the rest of the year.

On this episode of the Global Connected Aircraft Podcast, we’re joined by Glenn Gonzales, CEO and co-founder of Jet It.

Have suggestions or topics we should focus on in the next episode? Email the host, Woodrow Bellamy at wbellamy@accessintel.com, or drop him a line on Twitter @WbellamyIIIAC.

 

Check out our publication Avionics International @AvionicsMag + www.aviationtoday.com.

Check out the latest updates for our annual event, the Global Connected Aircraft Summit, www.gcasummit.com.

Join our Avionics Inernational LinkedIn group to suggest topics we should cover in our podcast, publications and events. www.linkedin.com/AvionicsMag.

Saudia Airlines COVID-19 and Connectivity Fireside Chat

During the 2020 Global Connected Aircraft Cabin Chats series, Azman Ahmad, GM Product Management, Saudia Airlines, joined program chair Mark Holmes for a discussion on how he sees the airline passenger experience changing amid the impact of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.

Saudia’s in-flight entertainment offerings include more than 4,000 hours of content and the airline also features IFEC managed through its UON service. The Middle Eastern airline operates a fleet of 142 aircraft, including such models as the Airbus A320 and Boeing 787.

Have suggestions or topics we should focus on in the next episode? Email the host, Woodrow Bellamy at wbellamy@accessintel.com, or drop him a line on Twitter @WbellamyIIIAC.

 

Check out our publication Avionics International @AvionicsMag + www.aviationtoday.com.

Check out the latest updates for our annual event, the Global Connected Aircraft Summit, www.gcasummit.com.

Join our Avionics Inernational LinkedIn group to suggest topics we should cover in our podcast, publications and events. www.linkedin.com/AvionicsMag.

 

Nokia Enterprise Head of Airports Talks Future of 5G in Aviation

On this episode, we’re joined by Thomas Rehrberg, head of airports and airlines business for Nokia Enterprise.

Rehrberg provides an overview of how 5G works and what its enabling elements across various segments of the aviation industry. The airports division of Nokia Enterprise has already deployed a 5G private wireless network at Brussels Airport in partnership with Belgian mobile operator Citymesh. 

Lufthansa Technik has used the same technology to enable virtual aircraft hangar maintenance trainings as well.

Have suggestions or topics we should focus on in the next episode? Email the host, Woodrow Bellamy at wbellamy@accessintel.com, or drop him a line on Twitter @WbellamyIIIAC.

 

Check out our publication Avionics International @AvionicsMag + www.aviationtoday.com.

Check out the latest updates for our annual event, the Global Connected Aircraft Summit, www.gcasummit.com.

Join our Avionics Inernational LinkedIn group to suggest topics we should cover in our podcast, publications and events. www.linkedin.com/AvionicsMag.

Airbus A220 Chief Engineer Explains How Cabin Air is Cleaner Than You Think

On this episode of the Global Connected Aircraft Podcast, we caught up with Jean-François Parent, head of engineering and chief engineer for the Airbus Canada Limited Partnership’s A220 program.

The chief engineer explains how the A220 and all Airbus airliners are designed to prevent air contamination under normal operating conditions.

When at cruising altitudes, the cabin air is a mix of fresh air drawn from the outside of the aircraft and passed through High-Efficiency-Particulate Arrestors (HEPA) filters designed to remove particles in the air down to the size of microscopic bacteria and virus clusters.

The air that is supplied to aircraft lavatories and cargo compartment is evacuated overboard, preventing any return of contaminated air in the cabin. The forward and aft cabin air is distributed from the top of the cabin through airflow channels integral to the passenger baggage overhead bins. It is extracted at floor level. There is no flow forward or rearward along the cabin.

As airline passengers begin to slowly get back on aircraft, this discussion can help explain how a modern airplane keeps their cabin air clean and refreshed. New and innovative technologies featured on the A220 are also discussed in this episode.

Airbus recently opened its first A220 final assembly line at its Mobile Alabama production site, the second assembly site for the A220 in addition to its program headquarters in Mirabel, Canada.

Have suggestions or topics we should focus on in the next episode? Email the host, Woodrow Bellamy at wbellamy@accessintel.com, or drop him a line on Twitter @WbellamyIIIAC.

 

Check out our publication Avionics International @AvionicsMag + www.aviationtoday.com.

Check out the latest updates for our annual event, the Global Connected Aircraft Summit, www.gcasummit.com.

Join our Avionics Inernational LinkedIn group to suggest topics we should cover in our podcast, publications and events. www.linkedin.com/AvionicsMag.

How Quest Diagnostics Flights Transport COVID-19 Specimens

On this episode of the Global Connected Aircraft Podcast, we caught up with Scott Borton, director of national air logistics for Quest Diagnostics, one of the leading medical lab services companies in the United States.

In addition to the medical labs and patient locations managed by the company, Quest Diagnostics also operates a fleet of 25 total aircraft, including the Pilatus PC-12, Beech B58 Baron and Embraer Phenom 100. Right now, these aircraft are flying about 88 flights a day to 63 different locations across the U.S., transporting some very precious cargo, including COVID-19 specimens and samples.

Their goal is to deliver collected samples to the company’s labs by 2 AM, so that diagnostics can be complete and results are ready by 8 AM the next morning.

We also asked Scott about the logistics of supporting a 20-minute turnaround time for aircraft that make multiple stops throughout the day, and whether or not his aircraft feature any type of in-flight connectivity.

Have suggestions or topics we should focus on in the next episode? Email the host, Woodrow Bellamy at wbellamy@accessintel.com, or drop him a line on Twitter @WbellamyIIIAC.

 

Check out our publication Avionics International @AvionicsMag + www.aviationtoday.com.

Check out the latest updates for our annual event, the Global Connected Aircraft Summit, www.gcasummit.com.

Join our Avionics Inernational LinkedIn group to suggest topics we should cover in our podcast, publications and events. www.linkedin.com/AvionicsMag.

Managing Air Cargo Operations at Frankfurt Airport During a Pandemic

On this episode, we caught up with Max Conrady, Senior Vice President Cargo, Fraport AG to discuss what it’s like to manage air cargo operations at one of Europe’s busiest airports during a global pandemic.

While the travel restrictions from the outbreak of the COVID-19 coronavirus have caused a dramatic reduction in the number of passenger flights occurring right now, the volume of air cargo operations has remained relatively similar to the levels they were at during this time a year ago.

According to Conrady, who oversees all of the air cargo operations at Frankfurt Airport, they’re still managing about 250 air cargo flights per day. The Fraport executive also discusses how they’re managing parked aircraft and some of the regulatory and data exchange challenges they’re dealing with.

Have suggestions or topics we should focus on in the next episode? Email the host, Woodrow Bellamy at wbellamy@accessintel.com, or drop him a line on Twitter @WbellamyIIIAC.

 

Check out our publication Avionics International @AvionicsMag + www.aviationtoday.com.

Check out the latest updates for our annual event, the Global Connected Aircraft Summit, www.gcasummit.com.

Join our Avionics Inernational LinkedIn group to suggest topics we should cover in our podcast, publications and events. www.linkedin.com/AvionicsMag.

 

Daedalean CEO Talks Neural Networks in Aviation

On this episode, we caught up with Luuk van Dijk, co-founder of Zürich, Switzerland-based startup and provider of autonomous flight control technology, Daedalean. On April 1, 2020, Daedalean and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) jointly published a report entitled, “Concepts of Design Assurance for Neural Networks.”

The report is the result of 10 months of work between EASA and Daedalean. According to EASA, the jointly published report is the result of a 10-month collaborative project between the two organizations with the goal of investigating the challenges and concerns of using Neural Networks (NN) in aviation.

Some of the results of the project will serve as a key enabler towards the certification and approval of machine learning in safety-critical applications onboard aircraft.

During our interview with van Dijk, he explains the differences between artificial intelligence, machine learning and how neural networks is effectively a subset of these concepts. The former SpaceX engineer also discusses some of the near term use cases of neural networks within aviation, including how they have been flight testing the use of one for image recognition, object detection and visual landing systems over the last few years in drones, air taxis and manned aircraft.

Have suggestions or topics we should focus on in the next episode? Email the host, Woodrow Bellamy at wbellamy@accessintel.com, or drop him a line on Twitter @WbellamyIIIAC.

 

Check out our publication Avionics International @AvionicsMag + www.aviationtoday.com.

Check out the latest updates for our annual event, the Global Connected Aircraft Summit, www.gcasummit.com.

Join our Avionics Inernational LinkedIn group to suggest topics we should cover in our podcast, publications and events. www.linkedin.com/AvionicsMag.