#CAIPODCAST Ep. 78: Connect Airlines Chief Operating Officer Talks Digital-First Operational Strategy
When Waltzing Matilda Aviation (WMA)—the Boston-based FAA Part 135 charter operator—first launched its new Toronto-based Connect Airlines last year, the company’s CEO described his observation of the pandemic as driving airlines to become “lean, agile and digital-first.”
On this episode, Connect Airlines Chief Operating Officer Dave Marcontell provides a status update on how the Q400 operator is preparing to launch passenger-carrying operations.
The COO also discusses how they’re continuing that commitment to becoming digital-first by investing in a new QR code-based asset records management system, his vision for becoming a paperless operation and whether they will feature in-flight Wi-Fi on their fleet of Q400s.
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#CAIPODCAST Ep. 77: Valour’s Daniel Welch Talks 2022 In-flight Connectivity Updates, Starlink and Regional Trends
On this episode of the Connected Aviation Intelligence Podcast, Daniel Welch, senior consultant for Valour Consultancy, joins to discuss in-flight connectivity (IFC) business models for airlines, installation trends, the recent Starlink agreements and more.
In January, Welch published a blog post showing that in the fourth quarter of 2021, the global IFC installed base increased for the second consecutive quarter, driven by installation activity in North America. He provides some updates IFC installation and service activity for airlines, regional trends and some insight on the recent Starlink agreements established by SpaceX with Hawaiian Airlines and JSX.
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#CAIPODCAST Ep. 76: Ethiopian Airlines USA Regional Director Talks Pandemic Recovery, Air Cargo and More
On this episode of the Connected Aviation Intelligence Podcast, we’re joined by the new regional director for U.S. operations of Ethiopian Airlines, Samson Arega.
After a three-year stint as the country manager of Ethiopian Airlines’ Canadian office, Arega transitioned to his new position as the leader of U.S. operations for Ethiopian earlier this year. Arega provides some perspective on how Ethiopian’s air cargo operations continue to grow, how the airline never fired any of its employees throughout the entirety of the pandemic, and some perspective on the airline’s in-flight Wi-Fi and other new technologies it is using.
Have suggestions or topics we should focus on in the next episode? Email the host, Woodrow Bellamy, at wbellamy@accessintel.com, or drop him a line on Twitter @WbellamyIIIAC. Also, check out the agenda for the 2022 Connected Aviation Intelligence Summit just posted to our event website!
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.
#CAIPODCAST Ep. 75: IAMA Talks Connectivity, Navigating Crisis and Labor Challenges for Aircraft Modifications
On this episode of the Connected Aviation Intelligence Podcast, we’re joined by the new managing director of the Independent Aircraft Modifier Alliance (IAMA), Nina Schulz, and IAMA’s Alliance Manager, Annelouise van Dijke, to discuss some of the organization’s latest progress advancing their goal of making independently provided aircraft maintenance more competitive against offerings provided by OEMs.
IAMA was first launched in 2019, and has grown its membership and subscribers to include Collins Aerospace, CarlisleIT, Envoy Aerospace, Etihad Engineering, and Lufthansa Technik, among others. The organization has been striving to improve the aftermarket supplemental type certification process for airlines and lessors since its inception. Schulz provides some progress updates after the first IAMA member completed the first IAMA audit process, an outlook for 2022, and some thoughts on how the process for acquiring, modifying, and operating in-flight connectivity on aircraft continues to evolve.
IAMA is hosting its next Virtual Think Tank (IVTT) on March 16 at 3 PM CET.
Have suggestions or topics we should focus on in the next episode? Email the host, Woodrow Bellamy, at wbellamy@accessintel.com, or drop him a line on Twitter @WbellamyIIIAC. Also, check out the agenda for the 2022 Connected Aviation Intelligence Summit just posted to our event website!
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.
#CAIPODCAST Ep. 74: PLAY CEO Talks Iceland’s New Low Cost Transatlantic Airline
On this episode of the Connected Aviation Intelligence Podcast, PLAY CEO Birgir Jónsson explains how his team plans to use a no-frills approach to operating a growing fleet of A321neo family aircraft, and whether he would ever consider adding in-flight connectivity (IFC) to the all-economy cabins.
Jónsson and a team of fellow former colleagues of Wow Air, the Icelandic low-cost carrier that ceased operations, first established PLAY in 2019. According to Jónsson, several of PLAY’s current executives were working on a new operational structure and air operator’s certificate (AOC) right before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic with the support of some investors they were able to secure.
Have suggestions or topics we should focus on in the next episode? Email the host, Woodrow Bellamy, at wbellamy@accessintel.com, or drop him a line on Twitter @WbellamyIIIAC. Also, check out the agenda for the 2022 Connected Aviation Intelligence Summit just posted to our event website!
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.
#CAIPODCAST Ep. 73: A New Cloud-Native Cockpit Approach to Flying with Honeywell Anthem
On this episode of the Connected Aviation Intelligence Podcast, Jason Bialek, Honeywell Anthem Product Line Director, and Jed Johnson, a Pilatus PC-12 and PC-24 pilot, discuss Honeywell’s new cloud-native Anthem flight deck.
Honeywell first launched its new cloud-native Anthem flight deck during an unveiling ceremony in October. Lilium, the Munich-based electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) developer, has announced Anthem as the cockpit system for its 7-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.
Bialek and Johnson provide an overview of how this new all-touchscreen connected flight deck could transform the way pilots fly while giving some insight on their current stage of development for Anthem in 2022.
Have suggestions or topics we should focus on in the next episode? Email the host, Woodrow Bellamy, at wbellamy@accessintel.com, or drop him a line on Twitter @WbellamyIIIAC. Also, check out the agenda for the 2022 Connected Aviation Intelligence Summit just posted to our event website!
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.
#CAIPODCAST Ep. 72: AFuzion CEO Vance Hilderman Talks Aviation Engineering Advancements, Jobs and New Technologies
On this episode of the Connected Aviation Intelligence Podcast, Vance Hilderman, CEO of Afuzion, discusses advances in aircraft technologies and some aviation engineering trends for 2022.
Hilderman is founder and CEO the CEO of Afuzion, and has also served as the CTO of several companies, he is a world-renowned aviation safety critical technology development and certification author, speaker and industry influencer. He joins this episode to give some insights on how commercial aircraft technologies are advancing and a reality check on the adoption of artificial intelligence and machine learning in aviation. We also discuss the future of aviation engineering jobs and why, despite the impact of COVID, the aviation industry has a growing need for engineers across multiple disciplines.
Have suggestions or topics we should focus on in the next episode? Email the host, Woodrow Bellamy, at wbellamy@accessintel.com, or drop him a line on Twitter @WbellamyIIIAC. Also, check out the agenda for the 2022 Connected Aviation Intelligence Summit just posted to our event website!
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.
#CAIPODCAST Ep. 71: IEEE’s David Witkowski Talks 5G C-Band and Aircraft Radio Altimeter Interference
On this episode of the Connected Aviation Intelligence Podcast, we discuss the ongoing work between the aviation and telecommunication industries regarding the deployment of 5G C-Band services and the associated interference issues that deployment presents for some aircraft radio (or radar) altimeters.
Since November, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and aviation industry leaders have been trying to establish a long-term solution that will allow 5G C-Band wireless services and flight operations to safely co-exist. The central issue on both sides of the 5G C-Band deployment results from the close proximity of the new 5G services from AT&T and Verizon in the 3.7-3.98 GHz band and the 4.2-4.4 GHz band where aircraft altimeters reside.
Witkowski, who chairs the Deployment Working Group of the IEEE Future Networks initiative, provides some perspective as to why the deployment of 5G C-Band services should not be a major concern for airlines, while also suggesting some possibilities for a long-term solution that could satisfy both the aviation and telecommunication sides of the debate.
Have suggestions or topics we should focus on in the next episode? Email the host, Woodrow Bellamy, at wbellamy@accessintel.com, or drop him a line on Twitter @WbellamyIIIAC.
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.
#CAIPODCAST Ep. 70: Intelsat’s John Wade Talks Future of Software-defined Satellites and In-flight Connectivity
On this episode of the Connected Aviation Intelligence Podcast, we feature a sponsored interview with Intelsat.
John Wade, president of the commercial aviation division of Intelsat, joins the episode to explain how the introduction of software-defined satellites will revolutionize in-flight connectivity (IFC).
Intelsat signed a contract with Airbus to build two OneSat satellites operating in multiple frequency bands that will power their next-generation software-defined network earlier this year.
John talks about how that technology will improve in-flight connectivity performance and also gives a status update on Intelsat’s current install base in terms of the number of connected commercial aviation aircraft using their current satellite network.
Learn more about how Intelsat is shaping the future of connected air travel by clicking here.
Have suggestions or topics we should focus on in the next episode? Email the host, Woodrow Bellamy at wbellamy@accessintel.com, or drop him a line on Twitter @WbellamyIIIAC.
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.
#CAIPODCAST Ep. 69: VistaJet’s Leona Qi Talks Business Aviation Supply Chain Issues
On this episode of the Connected Aviation Intelligence Podcast, we feature a discussion with Leona Qi, president of the U.S. division of VistaJet.
We recorded this interview live at VistaJet’s booth during the 2021 National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) conference and exhibition in Las Vegas. Leona provides some insightful perspective on some of the personnel and aircraft related supply chain issues that VistaJet and the entire business aviation segment as a whole is facing right now.
Have suggestions or topics we should focus on in the next episode? Email the host, Woodrow Bellamy at wbellamy@accessintel.com, or drop him a line on Twitter @WbellamyIIIAC.
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.
