Andrej Novák

Background: The air cargo sector is undergoing significant digital transformation driven by increasing demands for operational efficiency, transparency, and real-time information exchange. Despite the growing importance of digitalization, substantial differences remain in the level of technological implementation and system integration among air cargo carriers, while sector-specific evaluation frameworks remain limited. Methods: This study develops an evaluation framework for measuring digitalization in air cargo logistics. The framework is based on five evaluation pillars and a structured set of indicators covering electronic documentation, real-time shipment tracking, automation, digital communication, technological capabilities, and system integration. A scoring-based assessment methodology was applied to three international air cargo carriers to enable comparative evaluation of their digital maturity. Results: The assessment revealed substantial differences in digitalization among the evaluated carriers, indicating that higher levels of system integration, automation, and real-time data utilization revealed substantial differences in digital maturity among the evaluated carriers. Conclusions: The proposed framework provides a structured, sector-specific approach for assessing digitalization in air cargo logistics. It contributes to existing research by enabling systematic comparison of digital maturity among air cargo carriers while providing a practical benchmarking and decision-support tool for digital transformation initiatives.

Stratospheric solar-powered unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), commonly operated as High-Altitude Pseudo-Satellites (HAPS), promise satellite-like persistence for Earth observation, communications and remote sensing, but their feasibility is governed by a tight coupling between solar energy availability and onboard energy demand. This study presents an energy-balance simulation framework that predicts the diurnal charge–discharge behaviour and endurance of solar-powered UAVs. The framework couples a physics-based environmental irradiance model—astronomical solar position, an air-mass and pressure-scaled broadband atmospheric transmission and an eccentricity-corrected extraterrestrial irradiance—with a wing-geometry photovoltaic collection model that reduces the airfoil camber, planform, dihedral and cell layout of a real wing to three scalar coefficients, replacing the flat-plate assumption common in solar-UAV sizing. The closed-form collection coefficient captures the full dependence of collected power on sun position and aircraft heading and admits an exact orbit-averaging result for circular loiter. The model is implemented as a reproducible, modular tool with single-day, annual and global analysis modes. It is validated against a ground-based photovoltaic charging campaign conducted on the as-built Aurora solar UAV demonstrator (5.6 m span, 8 kg) over three clear-sky days spanning a 90-day seasonal range: predicted and measured wing-collected power agree with a Pearson correlation of 0.998, a coefficient of determination of 0.993, an RMS error of 6.0% and a daily-energy agreement within 3.5%. A structured residual identifies an unmodelled photovoltaic temperature effect bounded at the 6% level. The framework provides HAPS designers and operators with a transparent, validated tool for feasibility screening, component selection and mission planning across latitude and season.

The topic of local currencies as tools and solutions falls within the realm of social economy and sustainable development in the local economy. The aim of this article was to assess the level of knowledge about social economy and sustainable development in the context of the growing role of complementary currencies in the local economy as a tool supporting its development. The main methods used in the article were a critical literature review, comparative analysis, and statistical methods. The research results showed that the level of knowledge about issues related to the principles of social economy and sustainable development is sufficient and promising, but linking the topic of local currencies to the principles of social economy and sustainable development poses significant challenges. The research led to the formulation of a main conclusion: local currencies in Poland and Slovakia require greater theoretical and praxeological attention, which could significantly translate into increased popularity and wider application in economic practice.

This article presents the results of research focused on the analysis of communication systems in civil aviation. The main goal of the study is to analyse the development of aviation communication technologies, identify key technological milestones, characterise current communication systems, and assess their contribution to flight safety and operational efficiency. The research covers the historical transition from radiotelegraphy and early voice communication to modern VHF and HF systems, transponders, ACARS, CPDLC, satellite communication, and ADS-based surveillance. Particular attention is paid to the integration of communication, navigation, and surveillance within contemporary ATM concepts, as well as to emerging trends such as 5G networks, satellite constellations, and the application of artificial intelligence. The results confirm that communication technologies represent one of the fundamental enablers of safe, continuous, and efficient air transport operations and play a key role in the ongoing transformation of the air traffic management system.

This paper focuses on aircraft tracking and surveillance in airspace, emphasizing systems designed for flight dispatchers. It analyzes primary data sources and technologies that form the essential foundation for the operation of tracking software. It defines the principles of data acquisition from primary and secondary surveillance radars, MLAT and ADS-B, while reflecting legislative requirements for system operation. Then it compares the use of systems in public sphere, air traffic control and operation control (OCC). The final part analyzes and compares two flight dispatching software solutions, SITA OpsControl and GlobalBeacon. The results of the analysis provide the basis for the proposal of a new software solution that integrates key functionalities from both platforms while introducing new elements, such as route prediction based on meteorological activity using artificial intelligence. This proposal aims to automate decision-making, enhancing the safety and efficiency of flight dispatchers work.

The paper analyzes the potential of blockchain technology for managing and protecting aircraft maintenance records in maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) and continuing airworthiness management (CAMO) organizations under the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) regulatory framework. Based on a review of scientific literature, EASA regulations and guidelines on electronic records and signatures, and a case study of the combined airworthiness organization SK.CAO.003, the paper derives functional and security requirements for an information system handling maintenance data. These requirements, which concern in particular data integrity, traceability, redundancy, availability, authorization and auditability, are compared with the properties of public, private and consortium blockchain networks. The paper proposes a concept of a permissioned consortium blockchain architecture based on Hyperledger Fabric, using distributed ledger technology for storing immutable metadata and cryptographic hashes of maintenance records while keeping detailed documents in existing off-chain MRO systems. The concept is illustrated by two web-based proof-of-concept applications: the first records aircraft-level maintenance events and visualizes chain immutability, the second tracks the life cycle of individual components from registration to retirement. The results indicate that blockchain can meet key regulatory requirements for maintenance records management, while identified limitations relate mainly to integration with legacy systems, identity and access management, and operating costs of the network.

This article examines the historical evolution of aircraft electronic systems, tracing the path from simple electromechanical instruments to today’s highly integrated digital architectures, known as the glass cockpit. The work analyses the benefits of digitalization, such as improved navigation accuracy, enhanced flight safety, and reduced pilot cognitive workload while also highlighting new technical challenges, particularly in the area of electromagnetic compatibility (EMC). As onboard electronics grow more complex and high-frequency processors are increasingly used, modern avionics becomes a significant source of potential electromagnetic interference (EMI), which necessitates rigorous testing in accordance with international standards. The practical part of the article focuses on experimentally verifying and comparing the levels of radiated emissions in the cockpits of two general aviation aircraft of the Viper SD4 type in the RTC and Night VFR versions. Measurements were carried out using spectrum analysers across key aviation frequency bands. The results showed that although both aircraft meet the safety requirements, the Night VFR version produces fewer interfering emissions compared to the RTC version, likely due to more robust shielding and filtering of certified avionics. In conclusion, the article identifies the main sources of interference, especially the engine ignition system and the alternator and emphasizes that ensuring EMC remains a critical factor for the safety of future aviation.

This paper examines the technological and operational transformation of air traffic communication, focusing on the transition from analog voice transmission to digital data links (CPDLC, ADS-C). The aim is to analyse the impacts of digitization on the safety and efficiency of air traffic management. The methodology is based on a synthesis of technical standards and a questionnaire survey conducted among 26 pilots and 30 air traffic controllers. The results confirm the irreplaceability of the hybrid communication model; 100% of respondents prefer to retain voice transmission for handling non-standard situations. Although data links reduce the administrative burden and eliminate misunderstandings, they simultaneously cause a loss of situational awareness (the so-called party-line effect) and increase the visual workload on personnel. The analysis revealed persistent technical instability of the infrastructure and a sceptical attitude toward the full automation of decision-making processes. As part of the KEGA 54ŽU-4/2025 project, AI-based support systems designed to restore auditory vigilance have been proposed. The findings of this article aim to innovate avionics training and strengthen the stability of airport infrastructure.

This research develops and applies the IoTRIM model to assess the economic and operational implications of IoT integration in postal and courier enterprises in Slovakia. Combining a multi-criteria evaluation framework with an extended Cobb–Douglas production function, the analysis captures both readiness levels and their translation into output performance. The IoTRIM assessment reveals heterogeneous distributions of strengths across four strategic and technical pillars, with notable disparities between connectivity, data analytics, and interoperability capacities. Monte Carlo simulations under pessimistic, realistic, and optimistic scenarios highlight divergent digital trajectories among enterprises, with some demonstrating accelerated gains from IoT readiness while others face structural bottlenecks in infrastructure and process integration. Hypothesis testing indicates that while a positive and statistically significant relationship between IoT readiness and output is observed in selected cases, this effect is not universal across all enterprises and scenarios. However, the inclusion of IoT readiness consistently improves the explanatory power of the production function models. The findings underline that digital transformation outcomes depend not only on investment scale but also on systemic absorption capacity, including interoperability, data governance, and organizational alignment. The proposed approach offers both a methodological contribution for measuring digital readiness impacts and practical insights for strategic planning in the postal and courier sector.

The purpose of this research was, among other things, to show that the carpooling model can be regarded as a manifestation of collective intelligence and a response to the crisis of sustainability in today's ICT-based economy, which makes carp...