Transport of flight critical data over Internet protocol

The growth of the Internet in recent times can be attributed to people´s need to access information quickly. This, combined with the need to provide seamless connectivity to mobile users, has led to the development of multiple mechanisms to keep up with user demand for reliability and security. The recent events affecting the critical infrastructures of the nation indicate the vulnerability of these systems, and highlight the importance of the work that needs to be carried out to provide assurances for their safe and efficient operation. The aviation industry forms an important component of the nation´s critical infrastructure. By considering the issues involved in protecting the operational aspects of the aviation industry, in conjunction with the introduction of Internet access within an airplane, the authors present the possibility of providing an additional path for the transport of critical content between an airplane and ground stations.