(Photo: AirAsia)

The support challenges – from design through to production, operation and maintenance – that await organizations looking to enter or further entrench themselves in a high-growth industry.

In 2021, Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) and Advanced Air Vehicles (AAVs) attracted $7 billion in new investment, a record year—more than doubling the total disclosed investments made over the previous decade. There is no doubt that the AAM industry is at a pivotal point across commercial aviation.

But Rob Mather, Vice President, Aerospace and Defense Industries, IFS, explains that most AAM organizations have a “start-up” mentality and it’s those organizations that look beyond initial design and prototyping, and set up a strategy for widescale commercialization and ongoing operations that stand to gain the most. That includes the software they use to manage every step of each AAV lifecycle.

The industry is chock full of acronyms in relation to Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) & the Advanced Air Vehicles (AAVs).

So, we’ll begin picking through the “acronym salad” by defining industry terms within the commercial aviation ecosystem:

• There are a plethora of high-tech start-ups making rapid progress with all types of Advanced Air Vehicles (AAVs) with commercial and civilian applications
• The phenomenon of Urban Air Mobility (UAM) – think flying taxis for short passenger trips or cargo deliveries – is being made possible with Electric Vertical Take-off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft, through to fully Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) much larger than your typical drone, that will be used for last-mile and middle-mile cargo delivery
• But AAV does not just relate to air-taxis or unmanned aircraft, it also applies to aircraft with new forms of propulsion—such as Hybrid Electric Aircraft (HEA) and Fully Electric Aircraft (FEA) to reflect electrification of more traditional airframes or new hybrid or all-electric aircraft
• Take all of those vehicles and all the infrastructure and policy required to support them together and you get Advanced Air Mobility (AAM).

AAV Certifications are on the horizon both sides of the Atlantic

Here, we explore the latest technology at the forefront of the future of air travel:

Advanced Air Vehicles are not a far-off future technology from the Jetsons; they are coming sooner than you might think—and airworthiness certificates are just around the corner. Consider this 2021 assessment from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA): “Urban Air Mobility is expected to become a reality in Europe within 3-5 years. New technologies such as electric propulsion and enhanced battery capacity, applied to vertical take-off and landing systems, make this possible. The first commercial operations are expected to be the delivery of goods by drones and the transport of passengers, initially with a pilot on board. Later remote piloting or even autonomous services could follow. Several pilot projects are under way and some European manufacturers have already applied for certification, including for piloted vehicles for passenger transport. EASA is working with them on the airworthiness of the vehicles.”

In North America the FAA is already focusing on the infrastructure to support AAM. This year, it released interim guidance, via Engineering Brief, to support the design and operation of facilities that Electric Vertical Take-off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft will use for initial operations. It states: “The FAA is including AAM and UAM in our planning efforts, and our work is organized around five areas of activity—aircraft, airspace, operations, infrastructure, and community.”

One of the leading AAM players, Joby Aviation recently received a Part 135 Air Carrier Certificate from the FAA, ahead of schedule, allowing Joby to begin on-demand commercial air taxi operations. The Part 135 Air Carrier Certificate is one of three FAA approvals required for Joby to operate its revolutionary eVTOL aircraft as an air taxi service in cities and communities across the United States.

The Prime Targets for AAM – Where Environmental Benefits are Highest

McKinsey estimates short-haul flights account for more than 17% of total airline CO² emissions, making them an important target for decarbonization efforts. Replacing these traditionally-powered flights with lower carbon technologies – such as green propulsion – could really contribute to lowering aviation emissions—and that’s before factoring in replacing ground transportation emissions for similar journeys.

With today’s emerging technologies, AAM has the highest potential to disrupt travel of distances up to 1000 miles, distances currently served by local ground vehicles and high numbers of short-haul aircraft flights. Ground transportation converting to air travel will represent a brand-new market but for airlines, the impact is most felt with electrification and hybrid usage in short and regional distances. The potential to revolutionize short and medium travel is imminent but it will be a longer path for AAM to impact long-haul and trans-oceanic flights.

Rising fuel prices are driving further airline interest in AAM. In fact, Aviation Week reports that one-third of the current orders for AAVs have been placed by airlines.

At IFS we currently have two customers excelling in the electric propulsion market. Cape Air will become one of the world’s first carriers to go electric in the sky. The company is working closely to develop and operate the Eviation Alice electric aircraft—a nine-seat fully electric plane that has been designed from the ground-up to be the perfect short commute aircraft.

On the OEM side, Rolls-Royce, beside all its work on the Trent engine family running on sustainable aviation fuels, is targeting electrification too. In late 2021 the Rolls-Royce, “Spirit of Aviation”, supported by partner Electroflight, set three new world records for an all-electric aircraft.

Positive Societal Implications – We’re Already Seeing a Government Groundswell

There is huge societal benefit to be gained by making regional transport more accessible for human and goods transportation. A recent report by the UK Government revealed that two in three people thought that improved transport links would have a positive impact on people’s ability to access job opportunities. Not only can AAM positively impact commuting opportunities, but from a cargo perspective it could provide better linkage to rural communities by delivering vital supplies and services to under-served areas.

In the U.S., AAM Legislation has also just gained House approval. A bill that gained House passage in June will provide $25 million in grant funds to support AAM in FYs 2022 and 2023. The Advanced Aviation Infrastructure Modernization Act (AAIM Act), H.R. 6270, authorizes funding to plan and then build new AAM infrastructure by using existing heliports and airports, establishing new “vertiports,” and associated charging infrastructure. But a crucial aim of the legislation is the need to engage communities in the planning process and bring new technologies to a diverse set of communities, while creating hundreds of thousands of new green jobs.

We’re Just at the Start-up Stage – but AAVs are Assets to be Supported Through-Life

There is very much a “Silicon Valley mindset” in the AAM movement right now. The AAV landscape is currently dominated by disruptive start-ups or spin-offs and joint-ventures between leading aviation players—with certification targets ranging from 2022 through to 2028.

Despite this varied landscape, each AAM organization will face the same core challenges—taking a next-generation asset from design and proof-of-concept, through to prototyping, widescale operations and ongoing maintenance. Unlike manufacturing of traditional aircraft, many organizations involved in producing AAVs are looking to become a “one-stop” shop for their assets, well beyond initial sale. From design, manufacturing, and initial delivery, right through to supporting the spares, parts management and maintenance of that AAV asset throughout its lifecycle. Many, like Joby are even looking to act as the operator of their aircraft, meaning that they will also be responsible for the continuing airworthiness of each aircraft.

Through-life Support Begins with the Right Software

The market leaders in AAM will make software a central part of their evolutionary growth to assert their authority in a maturing marketplace. An asset of tomorrow requires software support that can support every step of its journey. The ability to efficiently manage a complex asset through its entire lifecycle requires an underlying data thread—to build, operate, maintain, and support that asset.

With such quick expansion anticipated, it is essential for AAV organizations to have a 360-degree view of operational processes to make informed, data-driven business decisions. This requires supporting software to aggregate, analyze and action this data, as well as to evolve in lockstep with company growth strategy—from initial design and engineering through to manufacturing and maintenance.

This will put the focus on breadth of functionality for supporting software too, with relevant modules needing to be deployed in line with business requirements. This could span functionalities such as supply chain procurement, HR, payroll, finance, project management in the design and production phases, moving to manufacturing execution systems, regulatory compliance frameworks, export control in the manufacturing phase, and MRO, asset management and workforce management for ongoing maintenance and support.

There’s more to AAM than the AAV – there’s the bigger picture to take into account

While the AAM industry is still in its infancy, there is a once in a lifetime opportunity to grab market share. Moving from manufacturing an AAV to operating an air taxi business opens up a whole new set of business processes that will need support, including maintenance planning execution, configuration management and more.

AAV manufacturers shouldn’t choose systems that are only good for them today, but will grind to a halt when they reach their maximum capability—meaning the manufacturer must then find and install software that can enable them to take their business to the next level.

Instead, they need a solution that will grow as they do, this means putting a system in place from the very start that can support an AAV company as it shifts from prototype, through to operation and commercialization.

The post OPINION: Advanced Air Mobility in Commercial Aviation May be in Start-Up Mode Now, But The Future Awaits appeared first on Avionics International.

A view of the RNAV RNP approach developed by Hughes Aerospace into the runway at Eagle County Airport. (Photo: Hughes Aerospace)

In August 2021, I participated in an inspection flight of a new approach procedure at one of the most challenging airports to land at in the U.S., Colorado’s Eagle County (KEGE) with Hughes Aerospace CEO Chris Baur in a TBM 850 equipped with Garmin avionics. Using the RNP and point-in-space landing capabilities of the aircraft’s advanced navigation systems, Hughes was able to deploy a new RNP AR approach into Eagle County that went live earlier this year.

Equipped with one runway measuring 9,000 feet, the approach to land at Eagle County is challenging because the mountainous terrain and nearby airports that surrounds it making the missed approach procedure challenging for even the most skilled professional pilots. In 2010 as the most famous example, Eagle was ranked as the world’s eighth most extreme airport in a special feature broadcasted by The History Channel.

The airport is situated within a valley inside the Rocky Mountains, with an elevation of more than 6,500 feet above sea level.

The cockpit of the Hughes Aerospace TBM 850.

Located 37 miles from Vail, the lone runway at Eagle County is surrounded by mountainous terrain with publicly available procedures that require pilots to use decision heights of more than 1,700 feet and three miles of visibility. Using RNAV RNP, Baur and Hughes Aerospace have established a new approach procedure with a decision height altitude of 282 feet and a half a mile of visibility.

“This approach has the lowest minimums of any published instrument procedure at Vail/Eagle County Airport. The other instrument procedures have significantly higher ceiling & visibility minimums, lack runway alignment, may position the aircraft closer to terrain, and have a challenging missed approach,” Baur told Avionics International.

Flying the approach in the TBM showed how much easier its descent angles and better avoidance of the terrain. The runway is situated within a valley area of the Rocky Mountains, where the mountainous terrain can range from 11-12,000 feet or more.

Pilots must fly over and through a gap in the mountains and slowly descend down into the valley where the lone runway sits to land at Eagle. Visibility can be quickly reduced by surprise snow storms or squalls. Lateral movement of the aircraft is also limited as you descend down into the valley because of the surrounding mountains and terrain.

Hughes Aerospace’s newly deployed RNAV (RNP) Q approach procedure to Runway 25 at Eagle County takes advantage of advanced navigation systems featured in modern cockpits, such as the Hughes TBM 850. It means smoother descent angles for pilots, allowing them to smoothly coast in between the mountains surrounding the downward glide slope into the runway, landing a few hundred over the runway center line.

According to reports on the use of the new approach several airline pilots on the first day of its becoming available through special FAA authorization, Baur said, it prevented several aircraft from diverting.

“Many aircraft today are equipped with contemporary avionics capable of supporting Performance Based Navigation (PBN). Extracting the value of these avionics is achieved through the extensive use of PBN, reducing pilot-controller workload, mitigating terrain & obstacles in a trajectory vs linear based lateral navigation as well as vertical navigation,” Baur adds.

Furthermore, the new approach features the strategic use of radius to fix legs to overfly the lowest possible terrain path from the initial approach fix to the runway. For RNP AR qualified pilots, it becomes a much smoother approach with shallower bank angles into the RF leg turns.

The RNAV RNP approach developed by Hughes Aerospace.

Lowering the landing minimums from decision height in the previously available approaches at KEGE are the clear star of the near approach though. Eagle County is located in the state that receives the fourth-highest amount of snowfall annually in the U.S., often causing lower ceilings enforced by air traffic control at the airport.

According to an article published by the Eagle County airport’s authority in February, the airport set monthly passenger record numbers in 2021, recording its highest number of enplanements from the airport’s lone runway since 2008. Some of the factors the airport attributes traffic growth to include the addition for summer service to Atlanta and Chicago, long with year-round service to Denver.

In 2022, the airport is experiencing continued growth in traffic. American Airlines, United and Delta Airlines conduct the most airline operations of all U.S. carriers to Eagle County, according to the article.

“The automation allows the pilots to focus on monitoring the performance, detecting and reacting to an undesired aircraft state immediately. This is in contrast to ‘being the performance’ potentially becoming task saturated while flying & navigating a legacy process,” Baur said.

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A VistaJet Global 7500. (Photo: Vista Global)

 

“Private flight departments are driving demand in October across the region, activity is up 13% compared to last year, 23% above three years ago,” WINGX notes in its report.

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David Shilliday, Vice President & General Manager of Power Systems, Honeywell Aerospace, is the guest on this episode of the Connected Aviation Intelligence Podcast.

On this episode of the Connected Aviation Intelligence Podcast, David Shilliday, Vice President & General Manager of Power Systems, Honeywell Aerospace, joins to discuss the Phoenix, Arizona-based company’s vision for getting the most value available related to sustainability advancements with the current in-service global commercial airline fleet.

“The current post-COVID travel spike has reinforced traveler demand.  The aviation industry is pushing for disruptive solutions to improve airline profitability to recover from COVID as well as global initiatives to further technologies that support zero emissions in aviation,” according to Honeywell.

Shilliday provides perspective on how the current fleet can be operated more efficiently from air traffic management, flight planning fuel efficiency and sustainable aviation fuel perspectives.

This episode is sponsored by Honeywell Aerospace.

Listen to this episode below, or check it out on iTunes or Google Play. If you like the show, subscribe on your favorite podcast app to get new episodes as soon as they’re released.

The post PODCAST: Honeywell Aerospace VP Talks Aviation Sustainability and Improving Today’s Fleet with Tomorrow’s Technology appeared first on Avionics International.

(Photo: FreeFlight Systems)

ORLANDO, Fla. — Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast Out’s (ADS-B Out) ability to provide up-to-the-minute aircraft position and ownership information is still a concern for business and general aviation operators, according to a session that highlighted the issue during the 2022 NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE).

The “Privacy in the ADS-B Era” education session at this year’s BACE featured a discussion about the issue some business and GA operators have with ADS-B that Avionics International has been covering for several years: Widely available, inexpensive ADS-B tracking equipment allows virtually anyone to track the flights of 1090 MHz ADS-B-equipped aircraft all over the world.

RELATED: 

• https://interactive.aviationtoday.com/what-is-the-answer-to-business-aviations-ads-b-privacy-concern/
• https://www.aviationtoday.com/2019/11/08/faas-new-ads-b-privacy-policy-means-business-aviation-operators/
• https://www.aviationtoday.com/2017/03/01/ads-b-complication-still-needs-solution/

“It’s not a surprise this is such a big topic in our industry today,” Doug Carr, NBAA’s senior vice president of international affairs, said in highlights of the session released by NBAA.

“This is about a four-decade ongoing challenge,” Carr adds.

Arguably the most famous example of the ADS-B privacy concerns of business aviation operators has been the coverage by several mainstream media outlets of a Twitter account that uses ADS-B to track the movements of the jet owned by Elon Musk. In February, The New York Times published an article covering the account managed by a college student that uses an ADS-B-powered bot that tracks the movement of Musk’s Gulfstream G650ER.

@ElonJet is able to do that, because the jet owned by Musk—like all other private and commercial jets—has a 24-bit International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) address.

That address is assigned to an aircraft’s registration number and has historically been broadcasted by Mode S transponders installed on air transport category aircraft. With the FAA and most other civil aviation regulators now mandating the use of ADS-B Out transponders compatible with the ADS-B surveillance systems they’re using, that info is now broadcasted across ADS-B networks and available to ground-based ADS-B receivers.

Each aircraft’s assigned ICAO code is based on its registration and a public algorithm that makes the position of the aircraft publicly available. With enough effort and research, that means the ownership associated with those aircraft is usually available or easily discovered by non-air traffic controllers that have ADS-B receivers or use flight tracking applications and websites.

That can be a concern for some corporate flight departments that want to keep the movements of their aircraft—and the individual or company that might operate it—private.

“Aviation enthusiasts were starting to see they could fill in the gaps with their own technology to create air traffic networks independent of the FAA,” Carr says. “Now in 2022, we have robust, non-FAA networks publishing real-time information about air traffic.”

According to NBAA, the following four tools help operators mitigate this, including the following:

• Using a trust or LLC for aircraft ownership
• Participating in the Limited Aircraft Display Data (LADD) program
• Using a third-party call sign
• Participating in the Privacy ICAO Aircraft Address (PIA) program

However, as noted by Jens Hennig, vice president of operations for the General Aviation Manufacturers Association, those mitigations do not combine to provide a permanent fix.

“We can’t hide you forever,” Hennig said.

NBAA’s update on the ADS-B Privacy education session also notes that while in recent years these concerns have mainly been associated with U.S.-based operators, recent ICAO meetings have seen similar concerns expressed “on these security issues with many Gulf states bringing the discussion to the table.”

Check out the ADS-B privacy resources provided by NBAA here. The Federal Aviation Administration also has a web page dedicated to the issue.

The post NBAA Session Highlights Ongoing ADS-B Privacy Concerns for Business Aviation Operators appeared first on Avionics International.

Avionica CEO Raul Segredo (left) and ERGOSS

ORLANDO, Fla. — The first two days of the 2022 NBAA BACE featured the launch of a new cloud-based flight data monitoring service and a quick access recorder fleet equipage deal for Avionica. Check out some of the details on both deals shared by the Miami, Florida-based avionics maker below.

Avionica, ERGOSS Partner for Flight Data Monitoring as a Service

On Tuesday, Avionica confirmed a new partnership with Bressols, France-based flight data analysis provider ERGOSS to introduce what they describe as a “fully plug and play SaaS [Software-as-a-Service] cloud-based solution” for flight operations quality assurance (FOQA) monitoring.

The technology has been co-branded by the two companies as “avSARA,” combining Avionica’s onboard aircraft interface device and flight data monitoring computers with the “SARA” cloud service operated by ERGOSS. SARA uses Microsoft Azure’s cloud computing and algorithms to enable a set of flight data monitoring tools aligned to the individual needs and interests of operators.

As a cloud-native application, SARA has the ability to automatically point out “flights of interests, some emerging adverse trends while also constantly monitoring your SPI’s [Safety Performance Indicators]” according to its website. Regional French airline Hop!, a subsidiary of Air France, has been using the ERGOSS “SARA.TECH” platform to transmit aircraft data in real time, according to a March 2022 press release from ERGOSS.

The ERGOSS logo (left) and Avionica logo (right) at the Avionica booth during NBAA (Photo: Avionica)

ERGOSS CEO, Fabrice Tricoire, says the company has sought to introduce a product like avSARA since 2010 and “now it became concrete and a full functional reality.”

The combination of SARA and their onboard data acquisition and analysis boxes will enable operators to “switch pre-configured recorders on and have robust and reliable data within 15 minutes of landing,” Avionica notes in an Oct. 18 announcement.

“Information accessible includes flight data, platform analysis, statistical reports, and 4D replay of all flights for any aircraft in your fleet,” according to Avionica.

Qatar Airways G650ER Fleet

Qatar Executive Airways will install Avionica’s miniQAR-avCM wireless quick access recorder technology on every G650ER within its in-service fleet. The private jet division of Qatar Airways operates 15 total G650ERs—the largest G650ER fleet in the world—and will install the miniQAR-avCM in an effort to “have access to flight data within minutes of landing,” according to Avionica.

“Avionica is excited about the installation on the G650ER fleet with Qatar. For thirty years, we have been listening to our customers and we understand Qatar’s requirements for quick access to data and standardization of their fleet under one platform,” Claudia Espinosa, Vice President of Commercial for Avionica, said in a statement.

Installations of the miniQAR-avCM flight data technology on Qatar are to begin within the final three months of the year.

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SKYTRAC’s DL 150 satellite data unit has been selected by Textron Aviation for its FANS 1/A+ upgrade program. (Photo: SKYTRAC)

ORLANDO, Fla. — Textron Aviation will feature SKYTRAC’s DL 150 satellite data unit (SDU) and SkyNode S200-012 as part of its Future Air Navigation Systems (FANS 1/A+) upgrade program for the global in-service fleet of Hawker 4000 and Cessna Citation Sovereign aircraft.

FANS 1/A consists of controller-pilot data link communications (CPDLC) and automatic dependent surveillance-contract (ADS-C) to enable controllers to monitor and communicate with flights or reduce aircraft separation distances in areas in which radar is not feasible. Civil aviation regulators and air traffic service providers have enacted CPDLC mandates in some flight information regions throughout the globe, including, most notably, sections of high altitude European airspace and the North Atlantic Track Route System.

SKYTRAC describes the DL 150 as a ARINC 741 SDU that is compatible with the Iridium satellite network. According to the DL 150 product page, there are also pending supplemental type certifications for the DL 150 on the Hawker 800, 850, and 900, as well as Gulfstream’s G150, G200, and several other commercial and business aircraft models.

Pictured above is the SkyNode S200-012. (Photo: SKYTRAC)

The SkyNode S200-012 is also an Iridium-based system that meets the requirements as a Long-Range Communications System (LRCS) for Air Traffic Services (ATS) safety services communication, according to SKYTRAC. The system was designed based on standards set in Satellite Voice Guidance Material (SVGM) and FAA Advisory Circular 20-150B (AC20-150B).

In-service Hawker 4000 and Cessna Citation Sovereign jets feature Honeywell Primus Epic avionics, according to SKYTRAC. The installation of DL 150 and SkyNode systems will upgrade the data link and satellite voice communications capabilities of both aircraft.

“We are committed to working with Textron Aviation and supporting their efforts to bring these communication improvements to the Hawker 4000 and Sovereign in-service fleets,” Jan van der Heul, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at SKYTRAC, said in a statement. “This is an exciting time for us as we shape the next generation of Iridium-based satellite aeronautical services.”

The post Textron Selects Two SKYTRAC Systems for Hawker 4000, Citation Sovereign FANS 1/A Upgrade Program appeared first on Avionics International.

“Our team was tenacious and overcame a host of issues including Covid-19, weather, the supply chain, and geopolitical concerns, to build a new network of 150 towers nationwide – and they did it in less than 12 months.” – Gogo Business Aviation COO Sergio Aguirre

ORLANDO, Fla. — Gogo Business Aviation has completed the deployment of all 150 towers towers that are enabling its next generation 5G in-flight connectivity (IFC) network. The Denver, Colorado-based connectivity service provider confirmed completion of the new network on Monday, with a live-stream of the last tower installed for the network in Oregon during an event at the 2022 National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (BACE).

The newly deployed network now has IFC coverage for the contiguous United States, with Gogo planning to expand that to business aviation operators flying in Canadian airspace next year. Gogo has been flight testing 5G antennas, modems, SIM cards, and other equipment on the network since June 2021.

Sergio Aguirre, COO of Gogo Business Aviation, commenting on the completion of the network, said the company “overcame a host of issues including Covid-19, weather, the supply chain, and geopolitical concerns, to build a new network of 150 towers nationwide – and they did it in less than 12 months.”

Gogo’s 5G coverage map

Each of the 150 towers that enable Gogo’s 5G network are part of its existing 250-tower 3G/4G network. The 5G network is using an unlicensed spectrum in the 2.4 GHz band.

Other updates provided by Gogo upon completing the network deployment focused on the status of the 5G aircraft technologies they have been developing. Gogo’s belly-mounted MB13 5G antennas and X3 computer have both achieved “first-article” supplemental type certification (STC). The company has not released what aircraft type those STCs were completed for.

There are plans to amend that STC once the 5G chip that Gogo is awaiting becomes available. In August, Gogo CEO Oakleigh Thorne said during their second quarter earnings call that a new issue emerged in late-stage testing of the chip being developed by Airspan for the X3 system.

Above is an image of the last of the 150 towers updated with 5G antennas for Gogo’s next generation IFC network. (Photo: Gogo Business Aviation)

Development of that chip is expected to be complete by mid-2023, according to Gogo’s latest statement released about its status and performance.

Gogo has already reported connection speeds on average of up to 25 mbps on flight testing of the existing network.

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Craig Foster, co-founder of Valour Consultancy, is the guest on this episode of the Connected Aviation Intelligence Podcast.

On this episode of the Connected Aviation Intelligence Podcast, Craig Foster, co-founder of Valour Consultancy, is the guest to discuss their new report, “The Market for IFEC and CMS Systems on VVIP and Business Aircraft – 2022.”

The report estimates non-geostationary satellite orbit (NGSO) based systems (excluding those with legacy Iridium satellite phones) accounting for about 14% of the IFC terminal installed base by 2031.

“Since the last iteration of this report was published in 2020, SpaceX and OneWeb have made huge strides with the former signing up its first business aviation client for Starlink and the latter securing two industry heavyweights as distribution partners in Gogo and Satcom Direct,” Foster says.

Listen to this episode below, or check it out on iTunes or Google Play. If you like the show, subscribe on your favorite podcast app to get new episodes as soon as they’re released.

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Supernal, whose cabin concept was displayed at the 2022 Farnborough International Air Show as shown here, is exploring the use of Honeywell’s Anthem flight deck for its eVTOL development program. (Photo: Supernal)

Hyundai Motor Group’s advanced air mobility subsidiary Supernal has signed an agreement with Honeywell Aerospace to “explore the integration” of the Anthem integrated flight deck into the electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft they’re developing.

Honeywell unveiled Anthem as its first clean-sheet designed next generation flight deck in September last year. Now, the Phoenix, Arizona-based aerospace manufacturer is joining a group of more than 50 external partners that Supernal is currently working with on its eVTOL.

The Honeywell agreement is Supernal’s latest announced development partnership since signing an agreement with Electric Power Systems to develop lightweight eVTOL batteries during the 2022 Farnborough International Air Show.

Ben Diachun, chief technology officer, Supernal, said in a statement released about the new partnership that the company is “combining automotive’s high-rate manufacturing capabilities and aerospace’s high certification standards to build the foundation for everyday air vehicle transportation.”

Honeywell first unveiled its new Anthem integrated flight deck last year. (Photo: Honeywell Aerospace)

Anthem has already been selected by Lilium, the Munich-based eVTOL developer, as the cockpit system for its seven-seater Lilium Jet. Separately, Bristol, U.K.-based Vertical Aerospace will also use Anthem as the cockpit system for their VA-1X all-electric air taxi.

A key enabler of the built-in edge-to-cloud architecture of Anthem is its integrated network server unit (INSU) or aircraft data gateway that is embedded into its design. The INSU acts as a connectivity bridge for data flows into and out of the aircraft.

“Honeywell Anthem will change the way aircraft are piloted, and we believe that Supernal’s aircraft will be a shining example of how aviation will evolve to be smarter and more sustainable,” Stéphane Fymat, vice president and general manager, urban air mobility and unmanned aerial systems, Honeywell Aerospace, said in a statement. “Honeywell has a wide variety of ready-now solutions to help create a more sustainable future for the aviation sector, and we’re proud to be on this journey with Supernal.”

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