TopFlight SATCOM achieves Boeing Certifications
Thales, a market leader in airborne connectivity, is pleased to announce the certification of its multi-service TopFlight satellite communication (SATCOM) system on the Boeing Next-Generation 737 and 777 passenger aircraft, after completing successful flight tests at Boeing.
The Thales TopFlight SATCOM is the first ARINC 781 SwiftBroadband-enabled SATCOM capable of simultaneous flightdeck and cabin communications certified for production installation on the Next-Generation 737 and 777.
The Thales TopFlight SATCOM provides a dedicated channel for Inmarsat Classic flightdeck voice and data and another channel of SwiftBroadband for non-critical flightdeck voice, Boeing Electronic Flight Bag and cabin applications. The technology originates from Thales UK’s Crawley facility
Peter Hitchcock, Head of Thales UK’s Avionics business, says: “Being first to market for this new technology on both the 777 and next-generation 737 is really important to us. Over 20 airlines have already selected Topflight Satcom and now that we have passed these milestones with Boeing we will be able to bring its benefits to even more operators.”
“People are amazed to see the level of technology that we have included in such a compact system. No only does this have huge benefits in terms of weight/drag reduction, but the ability to bring SwiftBroadband into the Cockpit as well as the Cabin allows operators to access dramatically lower data transmission costs and faster speeds. We expect this to drive demand in the same way that connected IFE and Wi-Fi/GSM systems are doing in the cabin.”
About Thales
Thales is a global technology leader for the Defence & Security and the Aerospace & Transport markets. In 2009, the company generated revenues of €12.9 billion with 68,000 employees in 50 countries. With its 22,500 engineers and researchers, Thales has a unique capability to design, develop and deploy equipment, systems and services that meet the most complex security requirements. Thales has an exceptional international footprint, with operations around the world working with customers as local partners. www.thalesgroup.com