Enhancing current aircraft communications addressing and recording system (ACARS)

Abstract

To many people travelling is a normal routine in life. During every day to day activity the issue of transportation does not linger in our minds as it is a norm. However, this is only realised when a horrific accident happens and we identify the role of secure transits policies. In the aviation industry this phenomenon is no exception. Aircrafts usually move around the world and bare air is their transmission line. To enable safe movement of these aircrafts all airplane communications are conducted through a uniform platform referred to as an Aircraft Communications Addressing and Recording system. This protocol was first introduced in the late 70s and used dedicated telex formats to transmit data. All voice communications carried by this protocol are done over a VHF link. Over the years the VHF has been constrained by the additional data produced. This is because of the increasing number of aviation industry players. To further constrain the same, the current ACARS system consists of communications hardware as well as applications subsystems and these components have changed significantly due to the changing aviation needs. This means that the length of message is constrained in the current communication platform. In effect, pilots receive information that is either incomplete or so limited that they are unable to make effective judgement on plane routing. Messages between the controller tower and the flight crew are usually not encoded. With this in mind it means that such communication is subject to interception and may be used for other malicious purposes. The major objective of this research is to develop an air/ground communication standard to support existing applications while minimizing impact on installed equipment. The problem statement and specific objectives are clearly stated to guide the researcher.The study presents a review of related literature on the subject under study as presented by various researcher scholars’ analyst and authors. The researcher also examined the various characteristics of the proposed incorporation of data links to improve the current ACARS and the attributes of the data link. The researcher has examined the methodologies used, evaluated the methodology approaches and described reasons behind the choice of the proposed methodological approach. As a result, if implemented the airline industry will be able to serve the steadily growing consumer needs all over the world since safety concerns of all aircrafts is essential for a competitive and growing world. With the changing business icons and dynamics the aviation industry is finding itself being the most reliable way of goods movement. In the event that the safety of these airlines is not maintained then it would be an economic disaster. At the same time the aviation industry is home to millions of jobs which might be lost in the event of disasters.