ACARS

Modified on: Mon, 11 Oct, 2021 at 8:38 AM

ACARS - Aircraft Communications Addressing, and Reporting System

ACARS is a digital datalink system for transmission of short messages between aircraft and ground stations via airband radio or satellite.

The protocol was designed by ARINC and deployed in 1978, using the Telex format. More ACARS radio stations were added subsequently by SITA.

ACARS messages will be send as soon as the Aircraft detect an antenna. If no antenna is detected the message will be halted and send later.

COM:

The airline pay ARINC/SITA per message send, to minimize the cost it is possible to bounce the acars message from the ARINC OPSCENTER or the SITA Gateway to an email account

Name	Mandatory
IN/OUT	IN
Host	Provider . eg. smtp.gmail.com
Port	Normally port 993, but check with the provider
SSL	Secure Socket Layer. Maybe the provider require this option.
User	Always Sleipner
User Name	Email account
Password	Password to the Email account
Communication type	Email
File type	ARINC, SITA or SITATEX. Depending on the message format.
Cycle Time	seconds.

N-OC accept the following ACARS messages:

DEP

PD458	flight number
C-GLQB	vehicle registration
CYHZ	departure station (ICAO)
CYHZ	arrival station (ICAO)
OT	BlockOff time
OF	TakeOff time
FB	if (OT) -> Fuel On Board. if (OF (with or without OT)) -> Take Off Fuel unit is defined by setup ACARSFuelUnit – if not defined, then kgs
DT DDL YHZ 141110 M05A	time of message and DEP station (IATA). We parse only 141110 -> 14AUG19 1110 and it's message time, which is used if ACARS message contains not complete information (e.g. only flight number without stations) – then application tries to obta

DEP

FI PD458/AN C-GLQB/DA CYHZ/DS CYUL/OT 1103/FB 7160

DT DDL YHZ 141104 M04A

- 14AUG19

DEP

FI PD458/AN C-GLQB/DA CYHZ/DS CYUL/OF 1110/FB 7150

DT DDL YHZ 141110 M05A

- 14AUG19

ARR

ON	touch down time
IN	block on time
FB	if (ON) -> Fuel Arrival if (OT) -> fuel remaining

ARR

FI PD458/AN C-GLQB/DA CYHZ/AD CYUL/ON 1248

DT DDL YUL 141248 M19A

- 14AUG19

ARR

FI PD458/AN C-GLQB/DA CYHZ/AD CYUL/IN 1253/FB 3160

DT DDL YUL 141254 M22A

- 14AUG19

A80

VV378/	flight number
HK-4811	vehicle registration
131432	message time
LIM	Departure station IATA
SPJC	departure station (ICAO)
SPST	arrival station (ICAO)
OUT	block off time
OFF	take off time
ON	touch down time
IN	block on time
FOB	Fuel on board in the different stages of OOOI

A80	can contain all of OUT, OFF, ON, IN
A8A	only OUT
A8B	only OFF
A8C	only ON
A8D	only IN
A8E	only RTN (return to ramp)
A83
A85, A87, A8E	do not contain OOOI times, but contain Free Text

A80

FI VV378/AN HK-4811

DT DDL LIM 131432 M57A

- 1001 OUTRP 0378/13 SPJC/SPST HK-4811

/OUT 1432/FOB 00876/BRD 000000/UNT /TYP

A80

FI VV378/AN HK-4811

DT DDL LIM 131457 M58A

- 1101 OFFRP 0378/13 SPJC/SPST HK-4811

/OUT 1432/OFF 1457/FOB 00849/ETA

A80

FI VV378/AN HK-4811

DT DDL TPP 131559 M80A

- 1201 ONRP 0378/13 SPJC/SPST HK-4811

/ON 1559/FOB 00561

A80

FI VV378/AN HK-4811

DT DDL TPP 131611 M81A

- 1301 INRP 0378/13 SPJC/SPST HK-4811

/ON 1559/IN 1611/FOB 00553

A81 A84	Free Text. The message will be displayed as a MVT note on the flight.
AGM, and A80	with subtype OPSCTL - contain FreeTexts

If you receive new messages from the pilot, a circle with a number will indicate the number of new messages.

A81

FI RH318/AN B-LNZ

DT DDL XXQ 101451 M33A

- TEST

M3K - OUT

S66382	flight number
OY-SRG	vehicle registration
120157	OUT date and time
LFML	departure station (ICAO) depending on airline it can be IATA
LFBD	arrival station (ICAO)
xxxx	Fuel on board

M3K

FI S66382/AN OY-SRG

DT QXS MRS7 120157 M10A

- 120157 12LFMLLFBD0157 xxxxx

M3B - OFF

S66382	flight number
OY-SRG	vehicle registration
120211	OFF date and time
12LFML0157	Date/departure station (ICAO)
02110307LFBD	OFF and ETA at arrival station (ICAO)

M3B

FI S66382/AN OY-SRG

DT QXS MRS7 120211 M11A

- 120211 12LFML0157 02110307LFBD

M3I - ON

S66382	flight number
OY-SRG	vehicle registration
120302	ON date and time
12LFML	Date/departure station (ICAO)
LLFBD0302	ON at arrival station (ICAO)

M3I

FI S66382/AN OY-SRG

DT QXS BOD7 120302 M12A

- 120302 12LFMLLFBD0302

M31 - IN

S66382	flight number
OY-SRG	vehicle registration
120309	IN date and time
12LFML	Date/departure station (ICAO)/
LFBD03020308	ON and IN at arrival station (ICAO)
0118034	Fuel on board

M31

FI S66382/AN OY-SRG

DT QXS BOD7 120309 M13A

- 120309 12LFMLLFBD03020308 0118034 00

M31 - M34

These messages are mainly used in the APAC area.

M31 OUT

RH331	flight number
B-LNX	vehicle registration
122217	OUT date and time
HKG	Departure station (IATA)
VHHH VTBS	ICAO Departure and Arrival Airport. Sleipner will verify the ICAO codes

M31

FI RH331/AN B-LNX

DT BJS HKG 122217 M29A

- OUT

VHHH2217VTBS----

M1A TAX

RH331	flight number
B-LNX	vehicle registration
122224	OUT date and time
HKG	Departure station (IATA)
243	Fuel on board
VHHH VTBS	ICAO Departure and Arrival Airport. Sleipner will verify the ICAO codes

M1A

FI RH331/AN B-LNX

DT BJS HKG 122224 M30A

- TAX

VHHH2223VTBS 243

M32 OFF

RH331	flight number
B-LNX	vehicle registration
122239	OUT date and time
HKG	Departure station (IATA)
242	Take Off fuel
0006	Fuel consumption, this fiel is not read.
VHHH VTBS	ICAO Departure and Arrival Airport. Sleipner will verify the ICAO codes

M32

FI RH331/AN B-LNX

DT BJS HKG 122239 M31A

- OFF

VHHH2239VTBS 242 0006

M33 ON

RH331	flight number
B-LNX	vehicle registration
130055	ON date and time
DMK	Arrival station (IATA)
108	Arrival fuel
0134	Fuel Burn. (Fuel on board - Arrival fuel)
VHHH VTBS	ICAO Departure and Arrival Airport. Sleipner will verify the ICAO codes

M33

FI RH331/AN B-LNX

DT BKK DMK 130055 M45A

- ON

VHHH0055VTBS 108 0134

M4A

RH331	flight number
B-LNX	vehicle registration
130055	ON date and time
DMK	Arrival station (IATA)
101	Remaining fuel
0138	Fuel Burn. (Fuel on board - Arrival fuel)
VHHH VTBS	ICAO Departure and Arrival Airport. Sleipner will verify the ICAO codes

M4A

FI RH331/AN B-LNX

DT BKK BKK 130104 M46A

- ENG OFF

VHHH0104VTBS 101 0138

M34

RH331	flight number
B-LNX	vehicle registration
130055	ON date and time
BKK	Arrival station (IATA)
101	Remaining fuel
0138	Fuel Burn. (Fuel on board - Arrival fuel)
VHHH VTBS	ICAO Departure and Arrival Airport. Sleipner will verify the ICAO codes

M34

FI RH331/AN B-LNX

DT BKK BKK 030644 M81A

- IN

VHHH0644VTBS----

M3A

M3E

M39

RTN

RTN

FI RH1111/AN B-LNZ/DA VHHH/DS VOMM/OT 1400/RI 1445/FB ----

DT HKG MAA 081446 M32A

Flight activity info

The data from the ACARS message will update the Flight activity window.

All received Messages are in the message section

Times are in the Times section

Notes:

ACARS doesn't have Delay reasons in the message. Those come from the MVT message or entered manually

The last message wins. Meaning that if MVT is received after the Acars, then the mvt times are taken.

If the Arrival messages come before the Departure message, there is a risk that the Dep message will be rejected.

Fuel is in the Fuel section

Down link

NOC can receive A81, A84 and AGM text messages from the aircraft.

The message is shown on the flight as a MVT note, and on the aircraft panel number of unread messages are shown.

Read the message

Right click in the aircraft panel and select the Acars symbol

or click on the message bubble.

This will open the message window. the messages from the selected aircraft will be shown.

You can search for a period or aricraft.

Uplink

The uplink method can be different from airline to airline depending on the Vendor of the equipment in the aircraft and the comunication vendor (ARINC, Sita etc.).

The Communication vendor will search for the aircraft and deliver the message.

Enter the message, click Next

A window with the ACARS receivers will open.

Note: For this to work, you need to specify an ACARS template for the aircraft. See Aircraft Uplink template.

Configuration

You need to create a template and an event.

In the Integration factory you create the basic body of the message

The template is used in the Acars Message Uplink Event.

Add the receiver COM channel.

Setup Parameters

ACARSFuelUnit		kgs/litres/tons/lbs/gallons	Fuel unit for ACARS messages. Fuel unit multiplier is used to multiply the input from ACARS Note: As per default it look like "Kgs" is selected. But you need to save the selection.
Fuel unit multiplier: