Black Box

Air traffic controllers worldwide monitor large volumes of air traffic every day throughout the year. In 2022, they controlled the movements of approximately 29.9 million flights globally. This year, they are expected to monitor nearly 32.4 million flight movements.  

In air traffic control, analysing large volumes of specific information from multiple platforms and reacting quickly is crucial to travellers’ and employees’ safety, as well as to maintaining the timely operation and scheduling of air travel. Therefore, downtime is not an option. 

Black Box’s AV and KVM over IP product solutions assist in delivering real-time data to air traffic control (ATC) towers and control rooms, as well as facilitating simulations for flight controller training. The company’s solutions also help to streamline baggage handling and deliver terminal schedules and other content to passengers via digital signage. 

Optimising airport control room operations

 To meet the demands for flexibility and scalability required by air traffic control officers (ATCOs) and the network applications of airports, multiple airports across the globe implement high-performance, safe, and reliable IT solutions. The end-to-end KVM over IP solutions are helping ATCs to coordinate the arrival/departure of flights and control overflying planes. 

Black Box is involved in many aspects of ATC operations. The company’s product solutions help control uncrewed remote towers by operating everything remotely, including physical and virtual systems. Black Box provides solutions for controlling and monitoring activity in the air, on the ground, and in between. Supporting radar systems and ground control systems, the company provides secure and reliable systems that operate 24/7. Using video walls or multiviewers, ATCs can easily view content as needed to help them make informed and instant decisions.  

Black Box is one of the leading global providers of KVM over IP solutions, empowering ATCOs to monitor ground-traffic control, visualise information, and react instantly. The company’s solutions help ATCOs to improve efficiency, optimise workflows, and lower operational costs. 

Passenger communications solutions for airports

Black Box also offers solutions to convey passenger information via displays and interactive kiosks throughout the airport. From viewing passenger schedules to check-in and baggage claim, passenger information is a vital part of the airport experience. The company’s products work with screens and interactive kiosks in airports to display passenger information, including details for luggage pickup, departure/arrival times, and promotional information about shops at the airport. Specialist extenders connect any screen, no matter the distance, to the playout source. With digital signage players, the right content can be scheduled at the right time, to be displayed on the right screens, capturing travellers’ attention from inside or outside stores. 

Airport operator simulation training

Black Box solutions facilitate simulation operator training and teach ATC operators how to monitor traffic by proving zero-latency transmission to a video wall and desktop monitors. ATCs in training can get experience controlling air traffic in real–time, facing the same challenges alongside a real operator. Comparing virtual and real-life decision and reaction times side-by-side greatly improves the trainees’ reaction times and split-second decision-making skills. 

There are many benefits to partnering with Black Box, including: 

• Optimised data flow: every take-off, landing, and movement on the tarmac is monitored, ensuring real-time, uninterrupted data transfer to control towers and key ground personnel. 
• 360° operational support: beyond just the control tower, Black Box also offers training modules for ground and air personnel, as well as solutions to optimise baggage handling processes and streamline passenger communications via terminal information displays. 
• Uncompromised performance: experience crystal clear, latency-free video in upto 4K/60Hz resolution. Reduce system complexity and costs due to full interoperability between 2K and 4K units. Whether monitoring multiple screens or analysing flight data, visual fidelity is guaranteed. 
• Robust security: in an age of cyberthreats, cybersecurity is more important than ever. Black Box’s KVM transmission remains fortified, with enhanced security features. 
• Resilience by design: during ATC operations, every second is crucial, so Black Box builds systems with advanced levels of redundancy, backup, and fail-safe functionalities, ensuring 24/7 uptime with virtually no downtime. 
• Compliance ready: designed to meet and surpass security requirements, Black Box’s ATC solutions provide the peace of mind of having a partner that understands the importance of regulatory compliance. 

Black Box provides experienced support engineers who can help people at airports and system integrators (SIs) to enhance connectivity and visualisation.  

Security, efficiency, and safety for employees and travellers at airports is of utmost importance. The company designs products made to deliver unmatched results to meet the needs of modern manual, automated, and interactive systems throughout airports around the globe. With simplified control and remote access, ATCOs can control visual elements and processes securely, quickly, and efficiently.    

Centralised, reliable, and redundant solutions increase operational efficiency and reduce workforce demands. IP KVM and AV over IP offer future-proof control room and visualisation solutions, characterised by high resilience, flexibility, and low latency.