ARINC

ARINC, originally Aeronautical Radio, Incorporated, was established in 1929 to coordinate and operate radio communications for the airline industry in the United States. It was created under a charter associated with the Federal Radio Commission, the predecessor of the Federal Communications Commission, and initially served as the airline sector’s single non-government licensee and coordinator for aeronautical radio communications. Ownership was held by major airlines and later by other aviation-related companies, including Boeing, before the business was acquired by The Carlyle Group in 2007 and subsequently sold to Rockwell Collins in 2013. The company’s original communications role developed into a broad aerospace and transportation technology business. ARINC operated communications networks, airport information systems, passenger-processing platforms, aviation data services, radio and satellite communications, security systems, and engineering services. It also supported defense, government, healthcare, rail, public safety, and other transportation applications. Its work included installing computer data networks in police vehicles and railroad cars, as well as providing systems engineering and communications infrastructure for aviation customers. ARINC became particularly influential through the development and maintenance of technical standards used across commercial and military aviation. Its industry committees developed specifications covering avionics packaging, aircraft data buses, navigation databases, flight-management systems, communications, data loading, cockpit displays, onboard maintenance, satellite communications, fiber-optic links, and aircraft networking. The ARINC 429 data-bus standard, ARINC 424 navigation-data format, ARINC 653 real-time operating-system interface, and ARINC 664 avionics Ethernet framework are among the best-known examples associated with the ARINC standards family. The company also created the ACARS aircraft communications and reporting system in 1978, enabling routine digital messages to pass between aircraft and ground facilities. Commercial offerings included AviNet data networking, air-ground voice and data communications, airport common-use systems, check-in kiosks, flight-information displays, airport operational databases, passenger reconciliation, border-management tools, cybersecurity services, and in-flight connectivity. ARINC maintained international operations, including a London regional headquarters established in 1999 and a Singapore regional headquarters established in 2003. Before its acquisition by Rockwell Collins, it had more than 3,200 employees across more than 120 locations. Rockwell Collins completed its acquisition of ARINC on December 23, 2013. ARINC’s former engineering-services activities were reorganized, with commercial aerospace work remaining associated with Rockwell Collins and defense services later acquired by Booz Allen Hamilton. In January 2014, ARINC transferred its Industry Activities division to SAE International, where the standards and conference activities continued under SAE Industry Technologies Consortia. After United Technologies acquired Rockwell Collins in 2018 and combined it with UTC Aerospace Systems, the business became part of Collins Aerospace. ARINC therefore remains an active aviation and aerospace identity, although it no longer operates as an independent company in its former corporate structure.

Aeronautical Radio, Incorporated was incorporated in 1929 under a Federal Radio Commission charter intended to give the airline industry a coordinated, non-government provider for aeronautical radio communications. Its early responsibilities included operating ground-based aeronautical radio stations and helping ensure that those stations complied with federal rules. The company was initially owned by leading airlines and later by a wider group of aviation-related companies. From this communications foundation, ARINC expanded into aviation infrastructure, military support, transportation networks, airport systems, and engineering services. A major technical contribution was its work on standardized trays, racks, and boxes for aircraft line-replaceable units. These arrangements allowed avionics components such as radios to be removed and replaced more efficiently. ARINC later became closely associated with technical specifications covering avionics installation, packaging, data exchange, navigation databases, flight-management equipment, aircraft displays, onboard maintenance, communications, and aircraft networks. In 1978 the company introduced ACARS, a digital aircraft-to-ground messaging system. ACARS supported operational exchanges such as flight-plan information, maintenance messages, fuel data, and aircraft-status reports. The system became an important part of airline operational communications and was extended through radio, satellite, and later IP-based networks. ARINC broadened its commercial portfolio with airport common-use passenger-processing systems, self-service check-in, flight-information displays, airport operational databases, passenger reconciliation, border-management solutions, in-flight broadband, air-ground voice, and secure communications. It also delivered engineering and systems-integration services to aerospace, defense, government, public-safety, rail, healthcare, and other transportation customers. International expansion included a London regional headquarters for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa in 1999 and a Singapore regional headquarters for the Asia-Pacific region in 2003. The company’s ownership changed substantially in the twenty-first century. After decades of airline and aviation-industry ownership, ARINC was acquired by The Carlyle Group in October 2007. Rockwell Collins completed its acquisition of ARINC on December 23, 2013. The transaction resulted in organizational changes to ARINC Engineering Services: commercial aerospace activities remained aligned with Rockwell Collins, while defense services were later acquired by Booz Allen Hamilton. In January 2014, ARINC’s Industry Activities division was transferred to SAE International and continued through SAE Industry Technologies Consortia. In November 2018, United Technologies completed its acquisition of Rockwell Collins and combined the company with UTC Aerospace Systems to create Collins Aerospace. ARINC consequently became part of Collins Aerospace rather than an independent standalone corporation. Its name continues to be associated with aviation communications products, legacy and current technical standards, and aerospace-industry activities.

1. 2018ARINC enters Collins Aerospace

   United Technologies combines Rockwell Collins with UTC Aerospace Systems, forming Collins Aerospace and placing ARINC within the new organization.

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2. 2014Industry Activities division moves to SAE International

   ARINC transfers its standards and industry-conference activities to SAE International, which continues them through SAE Industry Technologies Consortia.

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3. 2013Rockwell Collins completes acquisition

   Rockwell Collins completes its purchase of ARINC on December 23, bringing the company into the Rockwell Collins aerospace group.

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4. 2007The Carlyle Group acquires ARINC

   After many years of aviation-industry ownership, ARINC is sold to The Carlyle Group.

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5. 2003Singapore regional headquarters opens

   ARINC establishes a Singapore regional headquarters for its Asia-Pacific operations.

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6. 1999London regional headquarters opens

   ARINC establishes a London regional headquarters serving Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

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7. 1978ACARS is introduced

   ARINC introduces the Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System, a digital data link for routine aircraft-to-ground operational messages.

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8. 1929Aeronautical Radio, Incorporated is established

   ARINC is incorporated under a Federal Radio Commission charter to coordinate and provide non-government aeronautical radio communications for the airline industry.

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A specialist aerospace and transportation technology provider whose identity combines operational communications services, airport and passenger-processing systems, engineering support, and widely used aviation standards.

• ACARSAircraft communications1978

  The Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System is a digital data link used to exchange relatively short operational messages between aircraft and ground systems. It supports airline communications such as flight-plan updates, maintenance information, aircraft-status reports, and selected operational data. ARINC developed the system in 1978, and ACARS later operated over radio, satellite, and IP-based communications networks.

• AviNet Global Data NetworkAviation data networking

  AviNet is a global aviation data-networking service formerly associated with the ARINC Data Network Service. It provides connectivity for airline, airport, and operational communications, supporting the movement of information between aircraft, ground facilities, maintenance locations, and other aviation users.

• vMUSEAirport passenger processing

  vMUSE is a multi-user airport systems environment designed to let airlines share common passenger-processing infrastructure. It is associated with common-use terminal and passenger-processing standards and can support functions such as airline check-in and airport workstation access.

• SelfServAirport self-service

  SelfServ is ARINC’s common-use self-service kiosk offering for airport passenger processing. It is intended to allow passengers to complete check-in and related tasks through shared airport equipment rather than airline-specific counters.

• AirVueAirport information systems

  AirVue is a flight-information display system for airports, also described as an electronic visual information display system. It presents operational information such as flight schedules, gate information, and status updates through airport display infrastructure.

• AirDBAirport operations software

  AirDB is an airport operational database platform intended to consolidate and manage information used by airport operations. Such systems can provide a shared data foundation for flight, stand, gate, resource, and other operational processes.

• ARINC 429Avionics data-bus standard

  ARINC 429 defines electrical and data-format characteristics for a two-wire serial avionics data bus with one transmitter and multiple receivers. It became one of the most widely used communications standards for aircraft avionics and remains associated with the interconnection of navigation, flight-management, display, and other onboard systems.

• ARINC 424Navigation-data standard

  ARINC 424 defines a standardized file format for aircraft navigation data. It supports the preparation and distribution of navigation databases used by flight-management and navigation systems.

• ARINC 653Avionics software standard

  ARINC 653 defines an interface and architectural approach for partitioning computer resources in time and space within safety-critical avionics software. It also specifies application interfaces that help separate applications from underlying hardware and operating-system implementations.

• ARINC 664 / AFDXAircraft networking standard

  ARINC 664 defines the use of deterministic switched Ethernet for aircraft data networks and is associated with the Avionics Full-Duplex Switched Ethernet, or AFDX, implementation. The framework supports high-capacity, managed communications among modern aircraft systems.

• 2018Formation of Collins AerospaceM&A

  United Technologies acquired Rockwell Collins and sought to combine it with UTC Aerospace Systems.

  What changed. The two aerospace businesses were merged to form Collins Aerospace in November 2018.

  Aftermath. ARINC became part of Collins Aerospace and no longer operated as a standalone Rockwell Collins business.

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• 2014Transfer of ARINC Industry Activities to SAE InternationalM&A

  ARINC’s standards-development organization and related industry activities were separated from the commercial business after concerns about possible conflicts of interest involving corporate sponsorship of standards work.

  What changed. The Industry Activities division was sold to SAE International in January 2014 and continued under SAE Industry Technologies Consortia.

  Aftermath. The standards committees and related aviation conferences continued under SAE’s organizational structure rather than within ARINC’s commercial operations.

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• 2013Sale of ARINC to Rockwell CollinsM&A

  ARINC had been owned by The Carlyle Group since 2007 and operated as a broad aerospace communications and systems-engineering provider.

  What changed. Rockwell Collins acquired ARINC, with the transaction completed on December 23, 2013.

  Aftermath. ARINC’s activities were integrated into Rockwell Collins. Its engineering-services activities were reorganized, and the company ceased to operate as an independent corporate group.

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• 2018Rockwell Collins becomes part of Collins Aerospace

  United Technologies completed its acquisition of Rockwell Collins and combined it with UTC Aerospace Systems to form Collins Aerospace, the corporate home of the ARINC business.

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• 2014ARINC Industry Activities transferred to SAE International

  ARINC’s standards-development and related industry-activities division was sold to SAE International after concerns were raised about the relationship between standards development and corporate sponsorship.

  M&ARegulation
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• 2013Carlyle Group agrees to sell ARINC to Rockwell Collins

  Rockwell Collins announced and completed its acquisition of ARINC, bringing the aviation communications and systems provider into its aerospace portfolio.

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1. ARINC
2. ARINC official website