Air Routing Includes Security Among New Products

More secure long-range flight, including knowledge of potential dangers at the destination, fire in the cockpit, tampering with baggage and others, are issues addressed by several new products being promoted by Air Routing Group, Booth 5579, at NBAA.

Air Security International, a member of the Air Routing Group, is launching its Hot Spots service that will offer daily security updates for international crews, travelers and security professionals.

"Suppose you have a flight to Buenos Aires in five hours," an Air Security release suggests. "If there were suddenly large student demonstrations in the city center there, how would you know? Since the American news media usually offer only limited coverage of international affairs, you probably wouldn't."

Air Security says its Hot Spots was created to offer daily security updates on international news events with reports geared toward business travelers and their crews. The service is a concise compilation of international news events that could affect travel plans, many of which are not covered in the mainstream press.

A companion product is World Watch, an Internet-based, comprehensive security resource that has been expanded to offer more detailed intelligence about security risks, aviation issues, cultural and political information, and current conditions in more than 75 major cities and 55 countries. It includes a database covering major events around the world.

Air Security is also introducing its QuickMask IV, which provides crews with additional time with clear air in the event of a cockpit or cabin fire.

The compact, portable mask provides a minimum of 15 minutes protection from deadly fire-generated gases and particles. It can also can be used for escape from high-rise buildings, subways, cruise ships and other risk areas.

Air Security's new NanoSeal will prevent and detect baggage tampering. The company claims it is easy to use and cost effective. It uses a reusable, miniature, numerating sealing device that generates a four-digit random number for each bag. The number is then displayed every time the bag is closed. If an unauthorized entry has taken place, the number will change, giving a clear and obvious sign of tampering. It also will give a full indication of the time that has elapsed since the bag was last opened.

An exclusive agreement with Bombardier Aerospace, Business Aircraft, for Air Security to offer its SecureFlite package to operators taking delivery of new Bombardier Global Express or Challenger 604 aircraft will be formally signed at 10 a.m. Tuesday in Bombardier's Booth 6739.

"We are delighted to become the first business aircraft manufacturer to provide this innovative service to operators worldwide," said Dave Orcutt, programs and customer support VP for Bombardier Aerospace, Business Aircraft.

"SecureFlite will enhance the security of the aircraft and those onboard by fostering awareness and providing tools and services to prevent potential situations from developing," he said.

SecureFlite is described as a total security package for international flights, providing assessments and security services for the crew, passengers and aircraft. Global Express and Challenger 604 operators will receive the service for one year, typically starting when the aircraft enters service.

A new Iridium satellite telephone system being offered by Air Security will allow clients to use a single telephone number from isolated regions to international capitals around the world. The Motorola telephone is both a cellular and a satellite instrument, using the local wireless standard in urban areas, but switching to the Iridium constellation of 66 satellites around the world for communications in areas with damaged or inadequate communications networks.

Air Routing International is celebrating its 20th anniversary here. It was in 1978 that Rudy Fabre, Richard Wilkens and Tom Balousek formed the firm to meet a growing need as the business aircraft matured from small, short-haul aircraft to the long-range, international machines in use today.

It all started 10 years earlier when Fabre was station manager for Aerovias de Mexico (now AeroMexico) in Mexico City, offering service to both commercial and corporate operators. A Gulfstream II pilot found himself in trouble with inadequate paper work after dropping two passengers in Monterrey.

"He didn't have a permit, failed to properly handle customs and immigration and just about violated every rule he could have," Fabre recalls. The owner of a Houston weather service asked Fabre to intervene and by the next day the paperwork was completed and the pilot was able to continue his trip, Fabre said. The experience demonstrated a need for an international operations service, leading the way to the formation of Air Routing a decade later.

Air Routing is also celebrating the 10th anniversary of its Air Routing/Royal Bank of Canada Jet Card, which remains the only aviation bank card in the industry providing a worldwide credit mechanism for fuel, user fees, ground and airport services.

Air Routing also announced the opening of a new office in Beijing, China, as an expansion to its international network.

The company says two seasoned aviation professionals, Gary Xue and Frank Cai, will run the new China office.

Xue, a graduate of the ATAC Department of Civil Aviation College of China, has completed the ATC program at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. He is a certified Civil Aviation of China flight dispatcher with the Air Traffic Management Bureau.

Cai is a 20-year veteran from Air China who served as station manager at London's Heathrow Airport. As dedicated Air Routing representatives, the two will meet all flights into Beijing and provide support sales and customer service.

Air Routing said it's staying current with changing technology and regulations with its course outlines, providing three-day courses on a number of topics including North Atlantic and North Pacific procedures, North Atlantic operations, Pacific long-range Operations, sub-polar and polar navigation, and many more.

By Jim Street