Page 15 - ITU-T Focus Group on Aviation Applications of Cloud Computing for Flight Data Monitoring - Key findings, recommendations for next steps and future work

ITU-T Focus Group on Aviation Applications of Cloud Computing for Flight Data Monitoring
Key findings, recommendations for next steps and future work

3.3.2.2 Current technology

3.3.2.2.1 Ground-based infrastructure

• Airlines may utilize a cloud service for FDM hosted by another party. It is worth noting that ICAO Annex
6 does make provisions for airlines to outsource their FDM activities should they choose to.

3.3.2.2.2 Airborne data links
• If cabin data link systems can be securely connected to aircraft information services (AIS) domain flight
data information infrastructure on board such as Internet protocol (IP) data routers that already have
access to flight data, then this combination would be very well suited to performing flight data streaming
in support of GADSS flight data recovery requirements.

• Airlines are already performing black box transmission post flight over airport surface data links. Reuse of
these systems to redirect the data transmission over broadband links is logical. Only after ICAO establishes
performance standards can it be ascertained which data links can be used to meet the requirements.
• Since ICAO guidelines are that the solution for data streaming shall be performance based and shall not be
prescriptive, it will be possible for airlines and/or aircraft manufacturers to select from the combinations
of available data acquisition, processing and routing systems and available data link systems to build a
solution that meets SARPS.
• In view of the above, further considerations on frequency spectrum allocations and bandwidth
requirements may be envisaged in order to properly examine the feasibility of reusing existing
infrastructure to support real-time flight data streaming, which covers the various existing aviation
satellite technologies and services (safety and non-safety purposes) as currently being provided to the
aviation community throughout the world.

3.3.2.2.3 Flight data sharing
There are several multi-airline and multi-national data sharing programs that exist today that involve the
centralizing airline flight data storage. IATA's flight data exchange (FDX) program and FAA's aviation safety
information analysis and sharing (ASIAS) system are two examples.

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