Cebu Pacific's A330neos Feature Enhanced Cockpit Communications from SITA and Inmarsat

(22 Mar 2022, 10:47 +07)  Cebu Pacific’s new Airbus A330neos leverage SITA’s Aircom Cockpit Services integrated with Inmarsat’s SwiftBroadband-Safety (SB-S) satellite network service, enhancing cockpit communications while delivering greater operational efficiencies.

Through its Aircom Cockpit Services portfolio, SITA has integrated Inmarsat’s cutting-edge SB-S satellite network service, making Cebu Pacific the first airline to leverage the benefits of both services on its new fleet.

It is also the first time SB-S has been delivered factory-fitted on an Airbus aircraft bringing more sophisticated, secure, and reliable voice and data communications to the flight deck. IP connectivity, quicker data transmission with faster broadband speeds and coverage, will all deliver operational benefits for the airline.

Cockpit of an Airbus A330

Javier Massot, Chief Operations Adviser, Cebu Pacific, said, “We turned to SITA given their expertise in the aircraft domain to help us navigate the challenges and complexities of the aircraft communications landscape, and prepare us for that future. Having high-speed connectivity and greater capacity is essential to access more advanced digital applications that support decision-making onboard. It will enable our pilots and operational staff to access information in real-time and deliver a better service for our passengers.”

Bringing modern satellite technology into the cockpit enables Cebu Pacific to maximize the benefit of innovative inflight optimization and safety applications. For example, pilots will be able to gain real-time updates for flight optimization tools like SITA’s OptiFlight and graphical weather applications like SITA’s eWAS Pilot. The real-time data provided by applications like these will provide enhanced decision-making, helping pilots to adapt, avoid weather hazards and delays, enhance comfort and safety onboard, and deliver fuel and operational cost savings.

Sumesh Patel, President of Asia Pacific, SITA, said, “We are delighted to offer the latest advances in technology to support the industry’s transition to a more digitalized cockpit. As the specialists in this field, SITA is dedicated to delivering the crucial, industry-certified services airlines rely upon to run their daily operations. Cebu Pacific is the first airline to take advantage of these capabilities to boost safety and deliver greater operational efficiencies on their new fleet.”

The combined Aircom Cockpit Services and SB-S solutions are expected to be made available to more aircraft types, beyond Airbus single-aisle A320neos and wide-aisle A330neos, so more airlines can leverage the benefits.