In the FlyNet project, Lufthansa Systems has put its expertise as an IT service provider to the test and created the first flying Internet hotspot for an airline. FlyNet allows Lufthansa passengers to access the Internet during a flight using their own WLAN-enabled laptops.

After the test phase was successfully completed in 2003, FlyNet was officially launched in May 2004 on a Lufthansa flight from Munich to Los Angeles. The new, more sophisticated system also features a considerably expanded Internet portal. In addition to Internet access, which is subject to a fee, the portal also offers passengers free services, such as current news, stock prices, the opportunity to shop and make reservations, and information on flights and destinations. Passengers can comfortably access this information from their seats using a WLAN-enabled computer.

In cooperation with Connexion by Boeing and Lufthansa Passage, Lufthansa Systems carried out numerous tests over an 18-month planning and development phase in order to choose a platform which would adequately guarantee the interaction and security of the systems during a flight. The technologies that were chosen are physically separated from all other on-board systems. Together with Lufthansa Technik, Lufthansa Systems is currently installing the network technology on board and ensuring its operation. The IT service provider is also handling communication between the aircraft and the earth stations.

The general contractor behind the Internet portal is Tomorrow Focus Technologies, a wholly owned subsidiary of Tomorrow Focus AG. The company developed the portal solution, which is based on a content management system (CMS). In the context of the FlyNet project, Lufthansa Systems is responsible for the operation of the portal servers in the aircraft.

The IT service provider also handles communication between the plane and the earth stations and operates the FlyNet infrastructure. A new model of data communication via satellite is being used for broadband Internet connections on board passenger planes. First, data is transmitted via satellite from the plane to an earth station. This satcom network is run by Connexion by Boeing, an Internet provider and spin-off of Boeing. From the earth station, the data moves onto the regular Internet. The core element of this connection is the movable antenna on the back of the airplane. The software for controlling the antenna acquires its positioning data primarily from the aircraft's GPS navigation system. This makes it possible to aim the antenna system at a satellite within one degree of accuracy, even at a flight speed of 900 kilometers per hour and with a continually changing angle of inclination, thus ensuring stable, high transmission rates.

But how does the portal content get from the ground to the mobile portal servers on the plane? For this, Lufthansa Systems has developed a sophisticated communications solution between the aircraft system and the ground system which supplies the mobile portals with the necessary information via satellites and terrestrial connections.

During a flight, passengers can access the websites stored on the aircraft's portal server free of charge. Fees are only charged for querying external data sources, downloading email, or accessing the Internet directly. If large amounts of information have to be added to the on-board databases, the system is updated exclusively during downtimes at the gate. A special Gatelink connection, which independently carries out the exchange of data, was developed especially for this purpose. For security reasons, a Linux-based operating system adapted by Lufthansa Systems was chosen for the portal servers on board the aircraft. Lufthansa Systems can update the database on each individual plane from a central location. Plans are currently being made to equip a total of 80 Lufthansa long-haul aircraft with the new portal technology by the end of 2005. In order to be prepared for future requirements, Lufthansa Systems has developed a solution which makes it possible to manage up to 500 mobile portals.

A threefold strategy is in place for the efficient maintenance of the on-board portal servers. First of all, the servers are equipped with a Self-Healing System (SHS) which can independently initiate appropriate system stabilization measures if an error occurs. Additionally, it will soon be possible to use the ground system to upload a new version of the software, which the system can then install automatically. And finally, in order to minimize repair times in the event of a hardware malfunction, replacement devices with identical data are kept in store on the ground. This means that faulty devices can be replaced very quickly and without any additional installation effort.

Note to editors:

Lufthansa Systems is one of the leading IT service providers for the airline and aviation industries worldwide. As systems integrator, the wholly-owned subsidiary of the Lufthansa Group covers the entire range of IT services, including consulting, development, implementation and operation. Lufthansa Systems provides its IT infrastructure and operations services to a variety of industries. Headquartered in Kelsterbach near Frankfurt/Main, Germany, the company has branches in Germany and 13 countries and employs about 4,200 people worldwide. For more details, see www.Lhsystems.com.