Rockwell Collins begins worldwide customer evaluation of ARINC MultiLink flight tracking service

Rockwell Collins and nine undisclosed airlines from around the world have launched a trial program for the company’s new ARINC MultiLinkSM flight tracking service. The service, which was announced in March, offers a comprehensive and cost-effective global flight tracking solution for the world’s airlines.

“The geographic diversity of the airlines participating in this program is very compelling,” said Yun Chong, vice president, commercial aviation services for Rockwell Collins’ Information Management Services business. “They fly a considerable number of oceanic and polar routes, which will allow them to use ARINC MultiLink to track aircraft in some of the most remote regions in the world.”

The airlines testing the program are based in Europe, Asia, Middle East, North America and Latin America and operate both regionally and globally.

ARINC MultiLink brings together multiple data sources to reliably report the location of an aircraft anywhere in the world. In addition to utilizing Rockwell Collins’ proprietary high-frequency data link (HFDL) performance data, the service merges multiple other data sources including ADS-C, ADS-B, ASDI radar data, EUROCONTROL position information and ACARS position reports, many of which the airlines already generate, to provide a highly economical solution for airlines.

“At the core of the ARINC MultiLink concept is the desire to take advantage of as many data feeds as possible,” continued Chong. “Having multiple data sources helps us provide a more accurate position and increases the likelihood that at least one data source will always be available. We are currently evaluating other data feeds that contain positional data that could be incorporated into the service.”

In addition, the service is designed to support flexible position reporting frequency, enabling it to meet industry recommendations of providing position reports at least every 15 minutes. Airlines can also receive notifications when an aircraft has unexpectedly stopped reporting positional data or when the aircraft has deviated from its expected path.

Upon completion of the trials, the ARINC MultiLink service is expected to enter into service in the fall.