January 2012, As airlines and air navigation service providers (ANSPs) in Europe face a mandate to equip aircraft and the supporting ground infrastructure with aeronautical telecommunications network (ATN) data link capability for air traffic control, ARINC has announced that it has deployed next-generation technology to help meet the European demand for higher message volume and the certification of carriers' ATN equipment.

Together with its technology partner Airtel ATN of Dublin, Ireland, ARINC has upgraded the router technology in its ATN/VDLM2 air / ground network in Europe, which ARINC first installed in 2003. Newly enhanced ATN routers are now operationally deployed and are providing a higher level of performance, message capacity and reliability.

The ARINC network enables secure and timely data link communications between air traffic controllers and aircraft operating in the Maastricht upper area, the world's most congested airspace. The European Commission has designated ATN data link capability as a mandatory component on all aircraft flying in European airspace above flight level 285. Airlines must ensure ATN data link is implemented on all new aircraft deliveries from January 2011 and on all existing aircraft by February 2015.

"We are committed to EUROCONTROL's Link2000+ programme to comply with EC 29/2009, the data link services implementing rule," stated Pete Grogan, ARINC Senior Director. "We will continue to ensure that our ATN solutions are the best available." Frank O'Connor, CEO of Airtel ATN, said "We have been working with ARINC since 1999, and the rollout of these new routers is a natural progression in our partnership in delivering superior communications for the ATN."

In addition to the ATN itself, ARINC provided the original avionics test-bed at the EUROCONTROL Experimental Center (EEC) at Bretigny, France for carriers and manufacturers to test and validate ATN avionics. Recently, ARINC won the contract for another test system at Bretigny to validate avionics in a multi-frequency environment.

ARINC and Airtel ATN have also launched a new commercial ATN test facility in Dublin, Ireland. "Airtel ATN is the first commercial company in the world to provide this testing service to aircraft operators," stated Airtel CEO O'Connor. "We expect the facility to be a timely support to EEC Bretingy, with the 2013 date only 16 months away."

"ARINC has a long and successful relationship with Airtel ATN," continued Grogan. "We are working with them at Dublin to offer this new service to European and Middle East customers who need to comply with the EC 29/2009 rule. ARINC offers similar test and validation services in the US to avionics manufacturers, ANSPs and aircraft operators via an ATN/VDLM2 test network deployed in the US Midwest."