Airline teletype technology
Encyclopedia
The Airline Teletype System uses teleprinter
s, which are electro-mechanical typewriters that can communicate typed messages from point to point through simple electric communications channels, often just pairs of wires. The most modern form of these devices are fully electronic and use a screen, instead of a printer.
technology since the early 1920s using radios stations located at 10 airfields in the United States
. The US Post Office and other US government agencies used these radio stations for transmitting telegraph messages. It was during this period that the first federal teletypewriter system was introduced in the United States
to allow weather and flight information to be exchanged between air traffic facilities.
In 1929, Aeronautical Radio Incorporated (ARINC
) was formed to manage radio frequencies and licence allocation in the United States, as well as to support the radio stations that were used by the emerging airlines, a role ARINC still fulfils today. ARINC is a private company originally owned by many of the world's airlines including; American Airlines
, Continental Airlines
, British Airways
, Air France
,and SAS
.
In 1949, the Société Internationale de Télécommunication Aeronautique
(SITA) was formed as a cooperative by 11 airlines: Air France
, KLM, Sabena
, Swissair
, TWA
, British European Airways
, British Overseas Airways Corporation
, British South American Airways
, Swedish A. G. Aerotransport, Danish Det Danske Luftfartselskab A/S, and Norwegian Det Norske Luftfartselskap
. Their aim was to enable airlines to be able to use the existing communications facilities in the most efficient manner.
Morse code
was the general means of relaying information between air communications stations prior to World War II
. Generally, it was only necessary to relay a message between one or two stations. After World War II, there was an increase in the number of commercial aircraft operating, and these aircraft were capable of flying greater distances than in the past. As a result, the Aeronautical Fixed Telecommunications Network
(AFTN) was implemented worldwide as a means of relaying the air traffic communications, sometimes through the use of radioteletype
.
Today, the airline industry continues to use teletypewriter messages over ARINC, SITA
or AFTN networks as a medium for communicating via messages. Most teletypewriter messages are machine-generated by automatic processes. IATA
standardise teletype message formats throughout the airline industry.
.XXXXYYY 111301 - from (origin code + timestamp)
ASM - IATA type (keyword). Identifies type of message
UTC - Time mode (Coordinated Universal Time
). UTC or LOCAL
27SEP03899E001/TSTF DL Y - Message Reference line
NEW - ASM
subtype (Action Identifier)
BA667/13APR - Flight and date of flight;
J 319 C1M25VVA4C26 - fleet & equipment information
LHR1340 BCN1610 - Station/time for depart & arrival
LHRQQQ 99/1 - Route information. 99 is the passenger departure terminal code
QQQBCN 98/A - Route information. 98 is the passenger arrival terminal code
QQQQQQ 906/PAYDIV B - Route information.
LHRQQQ 999/1 - Route information. 999 is the aircraft arrival terminal code
QQQBCN 998/A - Route information. 998 is the aircraft departure terminal code
SI - Other supplementary information (free text)
IATA Teletype messages mostly have a 7 character address whereas an AFTN Teletype message always has an 8-character address.
Teleprinter
A teleprinter is a electromechanical typewriter that can be used to communicate typed messages from point to point and point to multipoint over a variety of communication channels that range from a simple electrical connection, such as a pair of wires, to the use of radio and microwave as the...
s, which are electro-mechanical typewriters that can communicate typed messages from point to point through simple electric communications channels, often just pairs of wires. The most modern form of these devices are fully electronic and use a screen, instead of a printer.
Historical development
The airline industry has been using teletypewriterTeletype Corporation
The Teletype Corporation, a part of American Telephone and Telegraph Company's Western Electric manufacturing arm since 1930, came into being in 1928 when the Morkrum-Kleinschmidt Company changed its name to the name of its trademark equipment...
technology since the early 1920s using radios stations located at 10 airfields in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The US Post Office and other US government agencies used these radio stations for transmitting telegraph messages. It was during this period that the first federal teletypewriter system was introduced in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to allow weather and flight information to be exchanged between air traffic facilities.
In 1929, Aeronautical Radio Incorporated (ARINC
ARINC
Aeronautical Radio, Incorporated , established in 1929, is a major provider of transport communications and systems engineering solutions for eight industries: aviation, airports, defense, government, healthcare, networks, security, and transportation...
) was formed to manage radio frequencies and licence allocation in the United States, as well as to support the radio stations that were used by the emerging airlines, a role ARINC still fulfils today. ARINC is a private company originally owned by many of the world's airlines including; American Airlines
American Airlines
American Airlines, Inc. is the world's fourth-largest airline in passenger miles transported and operating revenues. American Airlines is a subsidiary of the AMR Corporation and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas adjacent to its largest hub at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport...
, Continental Airlines
Continental Airlines
Continental Airlines was a major American airline now merged with United Airlines. On May 3, 2010, Continental Airlines, Inc. and UAL, Inc. announced a merger via a stock swap, and on October 1, 2010, the merger closed and UAL changed its name to United Continental Holdings, Inc...
, British Airways
British Airways
British Airways is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom, based in Waterside, near its main hub at London Heathrow Airport. British Airways is the largest airline in the UK based on fleet size, international flights and international destinations...
, Air France
Air France
Air France , stylised as AIRFRANCE, is the French flag carrier headquartered in Tremblay-en-France, , and is one of the world's largest airlines. It is a subsidiary of the Air France-KLM Group and a founding member of the SkyTeam global airline alliance...
,and SAS
Scandinavian Airlines System
Scandinavian Airlines or SAS, previously Scandinavian Airlines System, is the flag carrier of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, and the largest airline in Scandinavia....
.
In 1949, the Société Internationale de Télécommunication Aeronautique
SITA
SITA is a multinational information technology company specialising in providing IT and telecommunication services to the air transport industry...
(SITA) was formed as a cooperative by 11 airlines: Air France
Air France
Air France , stylised as AIRFRANCE, is the French flag carrier headquartered in Tremblay-en-France, , and is one of the world's largest airlines. It is a subsidiary of the Air France-KLM Group and a founding member of the SkyTeam global airline alliance...
, KLM, Sabena
Sabena
SABENA was the national airline of Belgium from 1923 to 2001, with its base at Brussels National Airport. After its bankruptcy in 2001, the newly formed SN Brussels Airlines took over part of SABENA's assets in February 2002, which then became Brussels Airlines...
, Swissair
Swissair
Swissair AG was the former national airline of Switzerland.It was formed from a merger between Balair and Ad Astra Aero , in 1931...
, TWA
Twa
The Twa are any of several hunting peoples of Africa who live interdependently with agricultural Bantu populations, and generally hold a socially subordinate position: They provide the farming population with game in exchange for agricultural products....
, British European Airways
British European Airways
British European Airways or British European Airways Corporation was a British airline which existed from 1946 until 1974. The airline operated European and North African routes from airports around the United Kingdom...
, British Overseas Airways Corporation
British Overseas Airways Corporation
The British Overseas Airways Corporation was the British state airline from 1939 until 1946 and the long-haul British state airline from 1946 to 1974. The company started life with a merger between Imperial Airways Ltd. and British Airways Ltd...
, British South American Airways
British South American Airways
British South American Airways or British South American Airways Corporation was a state-run airline in Britain in the 1940s. It was originally called British Latin American Air Lines Ltd....
, Swedish A. G. Aerotransport, Danish Det Danske Luftfartselskab A/S, and Norwegian Det Norske Luftfartselskap
Det Norske Luftfartselskap
Det Norske Luftfartselskap A/S or DNL, trading internationally as Norwegian Air Lines, was an airline and flag carrier of Norway. Founded in 1927, it operated domestic and international routes from 1935 to 1941 and from 1946 to 1951...
. Their aim was to enable airlines to be able to use the existing communications facilities in the most efficient manner.
Morse code
Morse code
Morse code is a method of transmitting textual information as a series of on-off tones, lights, or clicks that can be directly understood by a skilled listener or observer without special equipment...
was the general means of relaying information between air communications stations prior to World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Generally, it was only necessary to relay a message between one or two stations. After World War II, there was an increase in the number of commercial aircraft operating, and these aircraft were capable of flying greater distances than in the past. As a result, the Aeronautical Fixed Telecommunications Network
AFTN
The Aeronautical Fixed Telecommunication Network is a worldwide system of aeronautical fixed circuits provided, as part of the Aeronautical Fixed Service, for the exchange of messages and/or digital data between aeronautical fixed stations having the same or compatible communications characteristics...
(AFTN) was implemented worldwide as a means of relaying the air traffic communications, sometimes through the use of radioteletype
Radioteletype
Radioteletype is a telecommunications system consisting originally of two or more electromechanical teleprinters in different locations, later superseded by personal computers running software to emulate teleprinters, connected by radio rather than a wired link.The term radioteletype is used to...
.
Today, the airline industry continues to use teletypewriter messages over ARINC, SITA
SITA
SITA is a multinational information technology company specialising in providing IT and telecommunication services to the air transport industry...
or AFTN networks as a medium for communicating via messages. Most teletypewriter messages are machine-generated by automatic processes. IATA
International Air Transport Association
The International Air Transport Association is an international industry trade group of airlines headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, where the International Civil Aviation Organization is also headquartered. The executive offices are at the Geneva Airport in SwitzerlandIATA's mission is to...
standardise teletype message formats throughout the airline industry.
An example of a TTY message (IATA TypeB format)
QD AAAABBB. - IATA message to AAAABBB (priority=deferred).XXXXYYY 111301 - from (origin code + timestamp)
ASM - IATA type (keyword). Identifies type of message
UTC - Time mode (Coordinated Universal Time
Coordinated Universal Time
Coordinated Universal Time is the primary time standard by which the world regulates clocks and time. It is one of several closely related successors to Greenwich Mean Time. Computer servers, online services and other entities that rely on having a universally accepted time use UTC for that purpose...
). UTC or LOCAL
27SEP03899E001/TSTF DL Y - Message Reference line
NEW - ASM
ASM
ASM may refer to:Codes:* American Samoa using ISO 3166-1 alpha-3 country code* Asmara International Airport * Assamese language Computer science:...
subtype (Action Identifier)
BA667/13APR - Flight and date of flight;
J 319 C1M25VVA4C26 - fleet & equipment information
LHR1340 BCN1610 - Station/time for depart & arrival
LHRQQQ 99/1 - Route information. 99 is the passenger departure terminal code
QQQBCN 98/A - Route information. 98 is the passenger arrival terminal code
QQQQQQ 906/PAYDIV B - Route information.
LHRQQQ 999/1 - Route information. 999 is the aircraft arrival terminal code
QQQBCN 998/A - Route information. 998 is the aircraft departure terminal code
SI - Other supplementary information (free text)
IATA Teletype messages mostly have a 7 character address whereas an AFTN Teletype message always has an 8-character address.