ACARS:

Timeless tech for the

connected aircraft age
Since 1978, ACARS – the Aircraft Communications
Addressing and Reporting System – has been an
invaluable primary aircraft data messaging system
for airlines, supporting their safe, secure and efficient
operation, while meeting aviation regulations.

In this white paper we explore how ACARS is evolving Contributors:

in the connected aircraft age – and why it will remain Paul Gibson: SITAONAIR Portfolio
Director, AIRCOM®
the aviation industry’s trusted and reliable network in Euan Mitchell: SITAONAIR Datalink
the years to come. Product Manager
The evolution of ACARS
When ACARS technology first came into use in
1978, it relied exclusively on Very High Frequency
(VHF) radio channels. On its first day of operation,
around 4,000 messages were sent across the
ACARS network, with adoption steadily increasing
until it became widespread from the 1980s. Today,
SITAONAIR operates over 1,700 radios around
the world, supporting more than 16,000 aircraft in
their daily operations.
The intervening years have seen a sharp increase in
the demand for air travel and the steady addition
of alternative means of transmitting aircraft data.
These new technologies have enhanced the
geographical coverage of ACARS and developed
its capability for automatic and manual messaging.
Paul Gibson, Portfolio Director, AIRCOM® at
SITAONAIR, explains: “Today, ACARS continues to
evolve from its VHF origins, with satellite services,
higher speed VHF Digital Link (VDL) introduced
at various stages, to deal with the steady rise in air
traffic. As various forms of Internet Protocol (IP)
links become available to aircraft, we have been
taking strides to ensure ACARS evolves to further
enable message transmission over IP.”
This increasing demand for air travel, and
ongoing technological advances, mean that
ACARS has never been more valuable to the
modern air transport industry, delivering the
safest, most reliable technology for pilot-to-ATC
communications.
What is ACARS?
ACARS (Aircraft Communication Reporting and
Addressing System) is a datalink system used for
the transmission of messages between the pilot
and ground stations. These messages can be
sent using a variety of communication methods,
including VHF and HF (High Frequency) radio
channels, or via satellite.
The term, ACARS, refers to the complete system
that enables ground-to-air aircraft data message
communications. This system includes the service
provider as well as the equipment in the air and on
the ground.
Typically, ACARS messages conform to one
of three main types: Air Traffic Control (ATC),
Aeronautical Operational Control (AOC) or Airline
Administrative Control (AAC).
ATC messages include aircraft requests for
departure or oceanic clearances, as well as any
other instructions from ATC to the aircraft. For
AOC purposes, the majority of ACARS data is
used for operational and administrative purposes
and is integral to a wide range of airline process
and information exchanges. These include
communications on connecting gates, updated
arrival times, aircraft weight and balance, and
aircraft and engine health monitoring.
The value of ACARS to the industry
Since the late 1970s, ACARS technology has
become ingrained in global airline flight operations
– underlined by the fact that its capabilities are
linefit as standard across airline fleets around
the world. Today ACARS is part of the fabric of
most airlines, many of whom build their entire
operational processes around the system.

ACARS’ ubiquity across the industry stems from

the safety, cost and operational benefits that The only single global
the technology can bring. Through ACARS, data service for aviation ops
ranging from maintenance and aircraft health communications
information, through to the granting of departure
clearance and instructions on changing flight
levels, can be sent.

In the decades since its inception, SITA, now

With the IATA (International Air Transport
SITAONAIR, engineers have continued to fully
Association) projecting that a staggering 7.2
integrate technologies emerging onto the aircraft
billion passengers are set to take flight in 2035,
data messaging market within the central ACARS
SITAONAIR’s collaborative action to incorporate
system.
emerging technology and innovation has been
invaluable.
These technologies have included the addition
of satellite networks and, more recently, the
According to a recent Inmarsat study,
exploration of culture-shifting communication
conducted by aviation consultant Helios, satellite
links such as Internet Protocol (IP), or ACARS over
communication alone saved the airline industry
IP, including the use of ground-based terrestrial
$3 billion between 2001 and 2016 . When
cellular networks for data exchanges while the
expanded to consider the operational efficiencies
aircraft is on the ground.
from the use of VHF and VDL during the aircraft
turnaround process and gate-to-gate, the
For airlines, the benefits are huge, as ACARS
operational savings would be considerably higher.
maintains its traditional reliability and efficiency,
while embracing continued technological
As IP networks start to converge around aircraft
advancement in the connected aviation
communications, it is important to identify that
environment.
some networks are unlikely to be suitable for ATC
communications, meaning that a highly integrated
approach is required to make datalink services
work seamlessly across an increasing number and
variety of networks.

As Paul Gibson explains: “SITAONAIR’s position

is that, while feasible in principle, not all flavors of
communications channel are equal. Traditional
Supporting ATC ACARS and ACARS over IP both have an
communications, important role to play in today’s ground-to-air
connectivity landscape. Certain critical data is
navigation and
unlikely ever to be sent over some forms of IP. In
surveillance the rare case that it is, it will almost certainly be on
a multi-link basis, in that there is always the ability
to fall back to another link.”
A system that ‘just works’
In an environment where critical data is transmitted
across multiple communication channels, it is vital
that the system inspires industry-wide confidence.
There needs to be certainty that data is delivered
in a consistent and seamless manner across all
platforms.
As Euan Mitchell, Datalink Product Manager at
SITAONAIR, elaborates: “Given the absolute
importance of this to both safety and efficient
airline operations, most airlines would not be
willing to accept a reality where they would rely on
a single link capability without automatic failover to
an alternative.”
What’s more, from an airline perspective, Euan
continues, “any digital data system for the
transmission of messages between ground and
air simply has to work, as dispatching an aircraft
using manual processes is immensely challenging.
It is our role as a datalink service provider to ensure
this critical communications system functions
effectively, reducing airline workload.”
This fundamental requirement means that airlines
ultimately require faultless reliability from the
technology, which is precisely what makes ACARS
– and SITAONAIR – so successful and integral to
SITAONAIR’s role in the evolution of ACARS
SITAONAIR does more than simply implement
ACARS protocol; it remains a core service provider
for airlines around the world.
Central to SITAONAIR’s position is its ability to
integrate multiple networks, both proprietary and
third party. In addition, SITAONAIR provides one
of the largest secure private ground networks
anywhere in the world, with the capability to link
ATC, airlines, airports and OEMs.
Combined with 24/7 support and dedicated airline
customer support representatives, SITAONAIR
the industry’s operations. Given today’s crowded
skies and runways, it is ACARS’ ability to integrate
modern technology reliably and across all regions
that has maintained its central role.
As one of the major ACARS service providers,
SITAONAIR continues to play a leading role
in supporting airline value, safety and aviation
regulations. Far from resting on ACARS’ position
as the ubiquitous ground-to-air datalink system,
SITAONAIR is central in ACARS’ evolution in the
connected aircraft age. It is this ability to adapt and
evolve that means more than 220 airlines now rely
on SITAONAIR ACARS technology.
provides industrialized levels of service, ensuring
high availability, resilience and redundancy.
SITAONAIR is also independent and agnostic,
separate from OEMs and specific satellite network
providers.
These capabilities ensure that SITAONAIR’s value as
a service provider is to support airlines in managing
the transition required to reap the benefits of new
technology, without causing any major disruption.
Ultimately, SITAONAIR is managing the complexity
of ACARS, so airlines don’t have to.
ACARS in the connected aircraft age
With the IATA expecting airlines to have operated
38.4 million flights in 2017 (up 4.9% on 2016), and
with SITAONAIR estimating around 10 million
ACARS messages exchanged daily, ACARS is still
the primary means of communication to ATC and
airline operations.
Indeed, ACARS remains the backbone of aviation
communications, empowering airlines and ANSPs
to deliver safe, consistent and reliable pilot-to-ATC
communications.
Paul explains: “ACARS has proven its ability to
work alongside more modern methods of ground-
to-air communication, avoiding the traps that have
snared alternatives by working seamlessly across
all aircraft types and all regions.”
There is no one-size-fits-all approach when it
comes to effective ground-to-air communication.
Each airline needs to consider its own
requirements and adopt the most suitable ACARS
innovations and methods. For an airline operating
in a particularly busy airspace or airport, or those
operating in regions where there is only very
limited VHF coverage, a mixture of approaches is
often the most appropriate.
SITAONAIR and Teledyne cockpit
comms cellular service
SITAONAIR and Teledyne have announced a
partnership to deliver the aviation industry’s first
ever airline-integrated ACARS datalink terrestrial
cellular service, illustrating the role the technology
continues to play in the modern connectivity era.
The partnership marks an important evolution in
airline and aircraft communications. Building on
the datalink services chiefly provided by using
VHF/VDL radio frequencies, the agreement
enables SITAONAIR to integrate terrestrial cellular
services into its core datalink network. The result
is that airlines gain the flexibility of another
transmission channel for aircraft communications.
This is a prime example of the role ACARS still
plays, adapting to and complementing new
innovations in airline and aircraft communications.
Inmarsat SwiftBroadband-Safety
Inmarsat SwiftBroadband-Safety (SB-S) is a
next-generation flight deck communications
platform that enlists ACARS technology to offer
a global, secure and high speed IP connectivity
for the cockpit. It delivers faster communications,
alongside a dedicated IP connection to the
cockpit, paving the way for both airline operational
applications and future new generation safety
applications.SB-S is well positioned to be the
primary operational cockpit link with the aircraft,
with VHF networks becoming a required back-up.
As a sign of the technology’s success, and ACARS’
crucial role within that, several airlines, including
United Airlines, are to participate in a technology
evaluation of SB-S. The technology is being
assessed on four Boeing 767 aircraft as part of the
airline’s commitment to operational, safety and
service improvements.
SB-S will deliver flexible communications with real-
time flight information that can serve to enhance
both airline security and safety. It supports this
through continual positional awareness flight
tracking, and the dedicated IP connection to the
cockpit, which supports flight data streaming
and real-time EFB applications, including weather
awareness.
SB-S, as a future standard for aircraft
communication, illustrates the ongoing evolution
of ACARS and the key role it continues to play
in innovative and market leading ground-to-air
communications technology.

By enabling the datalink service over 3G/4G, the

airline community can benefit from increased
capacity for message transmission. At the same Backbone of
time, the partnership helps to relieve traditional efficient airline
datalink networks in congested airports, by
operations
freeing up important capacity for essential
ATC communications while also supplementing
traditional VHF datalink ground coverage in
sparse areas.
‘New gen’ European ATC-airline
communications network
In a live demonstration of the continued evolution
of air-to-ground communication capabilities,
Europe’s primary ATC-airline communications
network has been upgraded by SITAONAIR,
delivering Europe’s first Multi-Frequency (MF)
Very High Frequency Digital Link mode 2 (VDLm2)
infrastructure.
VDLm2 provides the capacity required to support
both ACARS and Aeronautical Telecommunication
Network (ATN) messaging. The MF-VDLm2
infrastructure has been delivered on behalf of
subscribing Air Navigation Service Providers
(ANSPs) and will serve 85% of all Europe-based
ATC-airline communications. It is supporting
the use of CPDLC (Controller Pilot Data Link
Communications), as mandated by the European
Commission.
The MF-VDLm2 infrastructure has been deployed
to resolve the ATC-airline communications
frequency capacity issues that have impacted the
single-frequency VDLm2 network since 2015.
Prior to using CPDLC, airlines within European
airspace used voice messaging over VHF to
communicate with ATC. Under CPDLC, however,
communications rely on the automated messaging
capabilities of digital link. This improves the
accuracy, efficiency and consistency of routine
ATC procedures.
The MF-VDLm2 infrastructure under deployment
by SITAONAIR offers more capacity throughout
Europe, and will support the performances
required by the CPDLC mandate.
The implementation, together with the ATN routing
protocols, allows a wider range of information to
be transmitted and a much faster connection.
The nature of these evolving air-to-ground
communication technologies again demonstrates
ACARS’ technological adaptability in managing
the growth of air and communications traffic.
Prague’s VHF/VDL ATC
communications gateway
VHF, VDL and legacy networks will continue to
work in parallel with IP networks, with the two
technologies complementing one another.
While IP certainly brings great opportunity, it
also needs to be grounded in clear and value-
generating use cases, fully considering the impact
of safety and the levels of aircraft integration
required. For many, the value and safety
assurances delivered by existing ACARS media
remains the best, most secure, and most flexible
option.
Indeed, airline operators, air navigation service
providers (ANSPs) and airports continue to rely on
traditional ACARS networks and SITAONAIR as
their trusted partner for ground-to-air messaging.
As a case in point, the Czech Republic’s ANSP,
ANS CR, has enlisted SITAONAIR to deliver a
“communication gateway” to Prague Airport
through its ACARS network, with the ambition to
roll it out to other Czech airports in the future.
SITAONAIR’s communication gateway will enable
the Air Navigation Service of the Czech Republic
(ANS CR) to support the sending of terminal
information (D-ATIS) to arriving aircraft and
departure clearances (DCL) to departing aircraft.
By replacing routine messages carried over
congested voice frequencies with standardized
digital messages, these ATC datalink applications
are minimizing the risk of misunderstandings and
confusion.
Examples like Prague illustrate SITAONAIR’s
continued investment into VHF and VDL networks,
and strong belief that these, alongside other
networks, will continue to work in parallel with
newer generation technologies.
Expansion of VHF
The longevity of VHF and VDL is underlined by
progress in developing parts of the world, where
the development of VHF networks remains the
primary focus as air traffic and data volumes
increase.
In 2015, SITAONAIR completed the deployment of
a comprehensive VHF and VDL datalink network
across more than 50 sites in Brazil. The expanded
network delivered full coverage of Brazilian
airspace and allowed airspace users to access
both the Departure Clearance (DCL) and Digital-
Automatic Terminal Information Service (D-ATIS)
datalink services that were deployed at 23 control
towers across Brazil.
The project in Brazil posed particular challenges,
including the difficulty of transporting, installing
and operating the hardware in environments
as harsh as the Amazon jungle. Its completion
provided the country with advanced datalink
communications, while paving the way for future
ATC datalink communication services over the
ACARS network.
While ACARS is undoubtedly still evolving beyond
its VHF origins in some respects, VHF channels
will remain essential for ATC communication,
particularly in more remote corners of the world.
SITAONAIR and the future of ACARS
ACARS remains heavily integrated into the
ground systems of nearly all airlines for a reason.
SITAONAIR’s position as datalink service provider
ensures the seamless addition of new airline
technology into the airline ecosystem – giving
airlines the confidence that when called upon, the
technology simply works.
SITAONAIR champions the evolution of next-
generation connected aircraft and continues to
pioneer and innovate. Its vital, aviation authority-
compliant ACARS ecosystem ensures that it
remains an industry staple – empowering airlines
and ANSPs to deliver safe, consistent and
reliable ground-to-air communications that are
fundamental to their successful operations.
Traditional ACARS technologies have been
providing reliable ground-to-air communication
for more than 30 years. While VHF will continue to
have its place, both for reliable and efficient ATC
communication, and as a back-up, SITAONAIR’s
implementation of advances such as ACARS over
IP secures its position as the fundamental means of
aircraft addressing and reporting.
Ultimately, ACARS remains the most reliable,
efficient and cost-effective ground-to-air
messaging system there is. It has played a
fundamental role in the industry for decades,
meaning that there are now a countless number
of systems relying on it and huge volumes of
integrated data coming to and from aircraft via
ACARS messaging.

Its ubiquity across the industry, and ability to

evolve with the connected aircraft era, ensures that
ACARS will long retain its position as the foremost
tool for aircraft addressing and reporting, and
SITAONAIR as its core service provider.

WHY SITAONAIR?
SITAONAIR is the air travel industry’s trusted connected aircraft service expert. With its unrivalled industry-
backed heritage, SITAONAIR empowers 400+ airlines and 16,000+ aircraft to navigate the complexity of
connectivity and unlock connected aircraft value. We work in partnership with the air travel community, helping
support its digital transformation, to unlock the true value of data, grow ancillary revenues, and enhance the
passenger experience, operational efficiency and airline safety. Our co-created solutions for passengers,
cockpit and cabin crew, and aircraft data management, equip the industry to address the challenges and value-
generating opportunities it presents.

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