CGI, one of the largest independent IT and business consulting services firms in the world, has officially announced an expansion of its Universal Virtual Flight Data Recorder (UVFDR) initiative, which has been developed under the Business Applications and Space Solutions (BASS) program.
According to certain reports, the stated expansion is meant to establish CGI VirtualFlightRecorder, a new CGI intellectual property solution capable of providing a scalable solution built on AWS. This particular solution should come in handy to enhance aviation safety globally, open up new ways of improving operational efficiency, as well as achieve compliance with emerging global aeronautics distress and safety (GADSS) standards.
More on that would reveal how the development will tread up a long distance to translate insights from the first pilot demonstration into operational capabilities. By doing so, it will ensure that CGI VirtualFlightRecorder meets the latest global aeronautical safety standards, including alignment with International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) standards and recommended practices (SARPs) for GADSS.
The UVFDR will now also be to leverage CGI’s blockchain technology for the purpose of achieving data authenticity, integrity and security. The overarching idea here is to address the operational and regulatory challenges of future flight data recording systems.
Talk about the ripple effects of this expansion on a slightly deeper level, we begin from its promise to improve data resilience in emergencies. The technology would achieve that on the back of satellite data transmission for flights in emergency scenarios. It will also explore solutions for completeness of flight telemetry and data integrity through flights with Cranfield University’s Flying Laboratory.
Next up, there is the potential to achieve global standards compliance, as the relevant system will provide users with a route to an acceptable means of compliance for GADSS, informed by EASA, FAA, and EUROCAE recommendations.
Another detail worth a mention is rooted in the expansion’s bid to achieve seamless operational integration. In essence, advanced interfaces and features are roped in to support real-time data transmission and monitoring, thus forming a setup which can then be integrated with existing aviation systems through commonly available aircraft interface devices (AID) or similar systems.
Joining that would be the prospect of data integrity and legal admissibility. This translates to how the technology will demonstrate compliance with standards for using flight data in regulatory and legal investigations.
Among other things, we ought to mention how CGI VirtualFlightRecorder is specifically designed to cater the needs of commercial air transport, business and general aviation, and advanced air mobility. You see, by mirroring the function of a traditional crash-protected flight recorder (Black Box) in a virtual, cloud-based environment, the system will facilitate assured, authenticated and provenance-controlled storage of data transmitted by an aircraft while in flight.
Not just that, it will also empower aviation stakeholders, such as aircraft operators, manufacturers, and regulators, using a cost-effective, reliable tool to enhance operational efficiency, comply with international safety mandates, and at the same time, provide key insights in case of an incident.
“This ongoing project underscores CGI’s role in advancing aviation safety through transformative technology. By evolving the UVFDR into a commercial service, CGI VirtualFlightRecorder will help aircraft operators boost their operational efficiency while supporting safer skies, meeting the industry’s evolving operations, safety and regulatory needs,” said Neil Timms, Senior Vice President, Space, Defence and Intelligence at CGI.
