AIRCRAFT DATA NETWORKS – INTEGRATED SYSTEM

Aircraft data networks are fast becoming more of a necessity due to their support for user mobility. Many aircraft manufacturers are planning to deploy data networks within their airplanes and provide internet connectivity to their passengers. While a data network within the aircraft and passenger access to it causes some security concerns, it open up some safety enhancement opportunities. With internet connectivity within the airplane, the activity within the airplane can be monitored in real-time from the ground station. Also, using the high bandwidth satellite links, the flight critical data could be downloaded to a server in the ground station in real-time flight or periodically, thereby enabling real-time flight status monitoring.