At the time of going to press, the fate of Malaysian Airlines’ flight MH370 is still unknown. In this day and age of constant connectivity, sophisticated radar and satellite systems, an aircraft has literally vanished for over a week now. On behalf of Avionics Magazine, I would like to say all our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the passengers and staff. Though with every day that passes it seems less and less likely there will be some “miracle” turn of events, we must hope.
While it is still too early to speculate on what has happened, the mystery will have a deep and lasting impact on our industry. It seems almost inconceivable that something like this can happen in this day and age; the industry will have to work to make sure an incident like this can hopefully never happen again.
We often talk about connectivity in terms of the passenger experience, but it is also vital in terms of improving efficiency and making sure airlines are able to deal with any sudden unexpected issues.
In this edition of Avionics, we put the spotlight on connectivity, and talking to some major airlines such as American Airlines, Saudia and Norwegian about their plans. There is little doubt that this is a booming market with many airlines now accepting that when passengers do make a choice in terms of which airline to fly with, connectivity options come into the decision-making process.
We also focus on the NextGen environment in the United States and what updates and advancements have been made. Our product focus is on real-time operating systems, which remain a key technology component in our industry.
As we head toward the summer, the focus more than ever will be on what’s new in tech upgrades, and what’s coming next. While the overall avionics industry has made great strides in recent years, as recent events show, the move to a safer and more efficient environment is an ever-present challenge,which our industry must meet head-on.