ACARS

[Bozoo]

Hello..
just got promoted on 320 from turbo prop and these things kinda new to me .... so i got what ACARS is.. but what is AOC function and ATSU... ATSU term in only used in AIRBUS of Boeing too...? How ACARS benefits ATC. Thanks

[eckhard]

Hi Bozoo,

Congratulations on your promotion!

‘AOC’ stands for ‘Airline Operational Control’.

You are correct when you say that ‘ATSU’ is an Airbus and not a Boeing term. It means ‘Air Traffic Services Unit’.

I googled this for you:

AOC (Airline Operational Control) messages can be organized into two distinct categories. The first category of AOC messages serve to enhance an airline’s operations and provide beneficial functionality to increase efficiency, reduce fuel usage, and ensure timely communication and information exchange, logistics, data collection, etc. The second category of AOC messages enable flight crews and Air Traffic Control (ATC) operators to communicate navigation information, aircraft position reporting, departure and oceanic clearances, as well as weather and runway conditions.

In 1995, Aérospatiale of France, a founding partner of EADS, embarked on a long-term project to develop the Air Traffic Services Unit (ATSU) computer for Airbus 320, 330, and 340 aircraft, part of the Future Air Navigation Systems (FANS) program. The Aérospatiale ATSU (Air Traffic Services Unit) integrates all services dedicated to data communication between the aircraft and the air traffic centers, all the needed resources to implement the future ATN Network, as well as the present ACARS functions (Aircraft Communication Addressing and Reporting System). This project marked the first time that a commercial Real-Time Operating System (RTOS) would be used in a computer-controlled navigation system certified to DO-178B level C.

So now you know!

[Bozoo]

Thanks a lot :)

[alvesjaa]

How do you clear the *ACARS notice on the MFD?

Thanks

[AerocatS2A]

In ours you read the messages.

[alvesjaa]

In ours you read the messages.

That’s just it, we read the messages and we still can’t clear it.

[AerocatS2A]

Don’t know then.