Connected aircraft service expert SITAOnAir has partnered with AirBridgeCargo and CargoLogicAir at the Farnborough International Airshow to demonstrate its aircraft Internet of Things open platform.

SITAOnAir’s IoT platform enables ABC and CLA to monitor the journey of sensitive pharmaceutical cargo inflight in real time.

“As one of the world’s leading cargo airlines, digital pharma is a priority innovation focus for us,” said Sergey Lazarev, general director of AirBridgeCargo. “With genuine Internet of Things capabilities, enabled for us onboard by SITAOnAir, our digital pharma service is born, ensuring we can provide the best transportation conditions inflight for customers’ invaluable cargo.”

By applying its open-platform approach to delivering bespoke IoT capabilities onboard, SITAOnAir will securely integrate diverse aircraft avionics, encompassing sensors, connectivity, hardware, applications and others, to heighten the potential of the connected aircraft.

“Customers in the air cargo industry are aiming at getting a better digital experience,” said David Kerr, CEO of CargoLogicAir. “With SITAOnAir we will be able to move towards the establishment of a holistic digital environment for our customers.”

SITAOnAir’s solution works by collecting IoT data provided by OnAsset Intelligence, its demo partner and cargo-monitoring specialist, during the course of a flight. The data is then fed through SITAOnAir’s onboard IoT edge gateway. The data can then be sent securely to its ground data management and dispatch platform, designed to monitor the inflight status of carriers’ goods.

“We are proud to work with AirBridgeCargo and CargoLogicAir to further improve inflight aircraft and transported assets monitoring, bringing additional value to the airline,” said Dominique El Bez, VP of product and strategy at SITAOnAir. “With over two-thirds of commercial airlines surveyed by the SITA Group aiming to invest in Internet of Things initiatives in the years ahead, the IoT arena is truly set to take off. As the true experts in delivering the promises of the connected aircraft, through our wealth of inflight connectivity, aircraft data management and aircraft communications solutions, we are naturally positioned to bring game-changing innovation to the aircraft Internet of Things space. Our vision is for SITAOnAir to become the enabler of IoT ecosystems onboard aircraft, with an open platform that will be aircraft safety compliant and cost effective. Developed in collaboration with the wider aviation industry, our experts and engineers are enthusiastically exploring aircraft IoT functionalities, and with our rate of development, we aim to bring a sweep of aircraft IoT portfolio products to market from 2019.”