What or Who is ARINC?

Aeronautical Radio Incorporated, ARINC, was founded in 1929. The company was owned jointly by four of the major airlines and its purpose was to provide in-flight communications between aircrews and various company facilities. It made sense to have a separate company to handle routine communications so that each company did not have to establish their own network of ground communications stations. By using the ARINC network, a flight crew at cruise between San Francisco and Portland, for example, could get a phone patch to speak with their dispatcher in Chicago.

Editorial Staff

Wednesday, December 31, 2014 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

ARINC was founded in 1929 by major airlines to centralize in-flight communications, thereby avoiding the need for each airline to establish its own ground network.
Despite being a private company, ARINC works closely with the FAA and FCC to establish aviation communication and navigation standards and pioneered innovations like ACARS.
Originally focused on aviation, ARINC's services have expanded to include defense, healthcare, security, and other transportation industries, undergoing ownership changes over time.

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It made sense to have a separate company to handle routine communications so that each company did not have to establish their own network of ground communications stations. By using the ARINC network, a flight crew at cruise between San Francisco and Portland, for example, could get a phone patch to speak with their dispatcher in Chicago.