The flight deck of a plane at night

Connected Flight Deck

Rethink your commercial aviation flight operations with fingertip access to actionable flight data insights.

Viasat delivers dedicated, protected, high-bandwidth connectivity right to the flight deck

SwiftBroadband-Safety (SB-S), including Iris, provides dedicated connectivity to the flight deck, empowering pilots with access to the most up to date information at their fingertips.

From up to the minute weather information via Electronic Flight Bag applications, to rich voice calls with the airline center, connectivity can be truly transformational to the flight deck, providing continuous updates that are crucial for optimal operation, unlike the outdated information available once the aircraft leaves the ground.

Discover more about Viasat connected flight deck, available as part of our air traffic datalink connectivity services SwiftBroadband-Safety and Iris.

Pilot holding tablet

What is connected flight deck?

Taking airlines beyond traditional safety satcom, Viasat’s SwiftBroadband-Safety (SB-S) and Iris unlock new cost efficiencies with real-time, data-rich applications for enhanced aircraft operations. The SB-S platform allows airlines to access a constantly evolving array of connected applications through our  Certified Application Provider (CAP) program.

Connected EFB

Secure, dedicated flight deck connectivity for your Electronic Flight Bags, providing real-time AOC, flight optimization, and graphical weather.

AOC Communications

High quality voice, ACARS messaging, and IP connectivity for chat applications, document management and more.

All in one, dedicated flight deck service

Segregated air traffic services and airline communications, with flight deck wifi, in one terminal and service.

“Flight deck connectivity is a powerful enabler of safer and more efficient flight operations. Our extensive research and testing with application partners suggests savings of 1%-3% can be unlocked with Viasat connected flight deck”

Dr. Valerie Chu, Director Value Proposition and Strategy
Viasat Aviation, Flight Safety team

EFB Showcase

Watch demonstrations from our London EFB lab to experience the power of connected Electronic Flight Bag (EFB). Over the past few years we have collaborated with key industry partners, including the European Space Agency, Teledyne Controls, SITA, TXT GROUP, and Thales Aerospace, to develop and enhance the functionality of connected EFBs as part of the Iris program.

Our EFB lab perfectly simulates the full end-to-end configuration of popular aircraft. The setup includes genuine avionics grade equipment, including an AID and WAP from Teledyne, and a complete aircraft satellite communications terminal from Thales, with real-time ARINC 429 and 717 data fed from flight simulation software.

This setup enables the demonstration and test of EFB software live using our SwiftBroadband-Safety and Iris services. SB-S provides a seamless, high reliability, and secure connection to the flight deck, enabling airlines to realize many benefits, including fuel savings, enhanced passenger safety, weather avoidance, and more.

PACE Flight Profile Optimizer

SITA eWAS & OptiFlight®

Teledyne GroundLink® AID+

Thales AVIATOR 200S
(Light Cockpit Satcom)

Learn more about the Iris EFB program

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Iris is making aircraft flights greener and more efficient using a new satellite-based communication system, developed with funding from the European Space Agency. By increasing digitalisation, Iris enables air traffic controllers to manage the skies more efficiently using a high bandwidth satellite datalink between the aircraft and the ground, and a truly connected cockpit empowers flight crew with detailed operational information at their fingertips.

Connect your flight deck

There's a team of experts ready to help you on your connected flight deck journey. Get in touch to discover Viasat services that support the needs of your operations.
A plane taking off at dawn