South American Airline To Install Iridium-Based Communications

[Satellite Today -2-5-08] Colombia’s Avianca Airlines will be installing Iridium value-added service provider Avionica’s Iridium-based satLink communications module on its fleet, Iridium announced Feb. 5.
    Avionica’s satLink Iridium system offers additional voice and data capabilities to supplement radio cockpit communications. The installation will include antenna, wiring, structural elements and a control panel providing voice communications worldwide, global positioning data over TCP/IP, dedicated voice and data channels, and programmable traffic routing.
    “South America’s topography causes HF signal reflections which lead to gaps in service availability,” Raul Segredo, president of Avionica, said in a statement. “During inclement weather these gaps restrict non-stop flights, resulting in delays as well as increased technical and labor costs. However, Avionica’s satLink system operates over the Iridium network. With Iridium’s ubiquitous global coverage, our solution effectively eliminates the problem of interruptions in cockpit communications and ultimately improves global coordination among the flight operations group, maintenance and crew scheduling.”
    Avianca is the oldest airline in the Americas, and the second-oldest in the world.