Real-time weather solution certified for use on Inmarsat SB-S

SITAONAIR’s EFB Weather Awareness Solution (eWAS) is the latest application certified by Inmarsat for use across its next-generation SwiftBroadband-Safety (SB-S) communications platform for the flight deck.

Following certification under our Inmarsat Aviation Certified Application Provider (CAP) Programme, airlines can now receive the latest weather information during flights using real-time SB-S datalink connectivity.

The pilot weather solution offers up-to-date views of severe weather that can rapidly appear, shift location, and grow in intensity, which can then enable a smoother, more efficient inflight experience for passengers and crew – and avoid related cost implications that were once deemed unavoidable.

Extreme turbulence, lightning, ice crystallisation and other volatile weather phenomena can significantly impact an airline’s bottom line, with a single weather event sometimes costing hundreds of thousands of dollars, in addition to negatively impacting on-time performance targets.

According to our recent study published by the London School of Economics, optimising flight routes in real time, through IP-enabled communications that provide better weather information to the cockpit, yields an estimated 1% fuel reduction per flight. This equates to 3.39 billion litres of fuel, 8.3 million tonnes of CO₂ and $1.3 billion in fuel savings annually, based on current fuel costs.

Our SB-S service entered commercial service in April this year, giving airlines worldwide unparalleled, secure visibility into their operations. Utilising market-leading aviation applications, SB-S can improve delay management and scheduling, maintenance capability, fleet and flight crew management, efficiency and predictability, and can reduce aircraft turnaround time.

In the future, through its use with modernisation programmes such as the Single European Sky ATM Research (SESAR), SB-S will enable enhanced air traffic management, allowing reduced separation standards and enabling dynamic rerouting and tailored arrivals.

SITAONAIR’s role as an SB-S distribution partner is key to how the company is shaping the future aircraft communications landscape. In supporting the evolution and diversification of aircraft communication technologies, SITAONAIR is helping empower its customers to negotiate an increasingly crowded airspace, and access enhanced capabilities.

John Broughton, VP Safety and Operational Services, Inmarsat Aviation says: “SITAONAIR and Inmarsat have been partners for years in bringing the benefits of satellite communications to the aviation market and we are proud to welcome SITAONAIR’s eWAS solution to the family of integrated, certified applications now available to SB-S customers. Delivering enhanced weather awareness to the connected aircraft represents a significant opportunity for fuel savings and reduced emissions for airlines.”

Dominique El Bez, VP, Product & Strategy, SITAONAIR, says: “In embracing this age of digital transformation, SITAONAIR is reinventing aircraft operations and the inflight experience, to improve safety and efficiencies, and make it more enjoyable. With our eWAS solution now certified for SB-S, and as a key SB-S distributor, we now go one step further in delivering the promises of the connected aircraft to our customers.”

“More than 10,000 pilots are already using the eWAS application, with its best-in-class features, helping them to stay a step ahead and avoid the avoidable. By connecting the eWAS application over SB-S’ dedicated IP platform for the cockpit, pilots will experience the added benefits of real-time weather updates inflight. Even avoiding a single weather event brings an immediate return on investment to an airline.”