Fleet Management

Fleet Management allows you to organize and manage WiFi infrastructure deployed across multiple aircraft, vehicles, or mobile hotspots. Originally designed for in-flight connectivity, this feature is ideal for any scenario where you need to manage WiFi across a fleet of mobile assets.

What is a Fleet?

A Fleet is a logical grouping of vehicles or devices that share similar WiFi infrastructure characteristics. Each fleet can contain multiple vehicles (aircraft, buses, trains, ships, etc.), and each vehicle has its own WiFi equipment and connectivity configuration.

Use Cases

Aviation & In-Flight WiFi

• Airlines - Manage WiFi across your entire aircraft fleet
• In-Flight Connectivity - Configure satellite providers and connectivity settings
• Aircraft Tracking - Monitor WiFi equipment by tail number and aircraft type
• Multi-Airline Operations - Support multiple airlines with hierarchical organization

Transportation & Mobile WiFi

• Bus Fleets - Manage WiFi on public transportation
• Train Networks - Configure WiFi across rail cars
• Maritime - Track WiFi on ships and vessels
• Emergency Vehicles - Organize connectivity for first responders

Mobile Hotspots

• Event Equipment - Manage portable WiFi hotspots for events
• Construction Sites - Track temporary WiFi installations
• Remote Locations - Organize WiFi for mobile work sites

Hierarchical Organization

Fleet Management supports a three-level hierarchy:

Airlines/Operators
  └── Fleets
      └── Vehicles/Aircraft

Airlines

• Top-level organizational unit
• Represent an airline or major operator
• Can contain multiple fleets
• Use IATA/ICAO codes for identification
• Example: Lufthansa (IATA: LH, ICAO: DLH)

Fleets

• Mid-level grouping of similar vehicles
• Belong to one airline/operator
• Group aircraft by type, route, or purpose
• Example: "A380 Long-Haul Fleet", "Domestic 737s"

Vehicles/Aircraft

• Individual assets with WiFi equipment
• Each has unique tail number or identifier
• Associated with one fleet
• Contains connectivity and network configuration

Fleet Properties

Basic Information

Field	Description	Required
Name	Fleet name (1-100 characters)	Yes
Type	'airline' or 'fleet'	Yes
Description	Detailed fleet description	No
Parent ID	Parent airline (for fleets only)	No

Airline Information (for type='airline')

Field	Description	Format
IATA Code	2-letter airline code	2 chars (e.g., "LH")
ICAO Code	3-letter airline code	3 chars (e.g., "DLH")
Country	Operating country	ISO country code
Timezone	Primary timezone	IANA timezone

Status & Settings

Field	Description	Default
Active	Active/inactive status	true
Settings	JSON configuration (portal theme, tariffs, etc.)
Vehicles	Count of vehicles in this fleet	0

Creating a Fleet

Create an Airline

1. Navigate to Fleet Management
2. Click Add Airline
3. Enter airline details:
   • Name (e.g., "Lufthansa")
   • IATA code (e.g., "LH")
   • ICAO code (e.g., "DLH")
   • Country
   • Timezone
4. Click Save

Create a Fleet

1. Navigate to Fleet Management
2. Click Add Fleet
3. Select parent airline (optional)
4. Enter fleet details:
   • Name (e.g., "A380 Long-Haul")
   • Description
   • Settings (optional)
5. Click Save

Naming Conventions

Use clear, descriptive names that indicate the fleet's purpose:

• Good: "A380 Long-Haul", "737 Domestic", "A320 Regional"
• Avoid: "Fleet 1", "Group A"

Managing Fleets

Viewing Your Fleets

1. Navigate to Fleet Management
2. View list showing:
   • Fleet name
   • Fleet type (airline/fleet)
   • Number of vehicles
   • Parent airline (if applicable)
   • Status
3. Use filters to find specific fleets:
   • Filter by name
   • Filter by type
   • Sort by creation date, name, or update date

Viewing Fleet Details

1. Click on a fleet name
2. View complete information:
   • Basic details
   • Associated vehicles/aircraft
   • Configuration settings
   • Activity history

Updating a Fleet

1. Open the fleet details page
2. Click Edit
3. Update any fields:
   • Fleet name
   • Description
   • Settings
   • Active status
4. Click Save

Deleting a Fleet

1. Open the fleet details page
2. Click Delete Fleet
3. Confirm deletion

Cascade Effect

Deleting a fleet does not automatically delete vehicles. Vehicles will remain in the system but will no longer be associated with a fleet. Update or delete vehicles separately if needed.

Vehicle Management

Adding a Vehicle to a Fleet

1. Navigate to Fleet Management > Vehicles
2. Click Add Vehicle
3. Enter vehicle details:
   • Name/identifier
   • Tail number (for aircraft)
   • Aircraft type (if applicable)
   • Fleet assignment
4. Configure connectivity:
   • Satellite provider
   • IP ranges
   • Network settings
5. Click Save

Vehicle Properties

Aircraft Information

Field	Description	Example
Tail Number	Aircraft registration	"D-AIAA"
Aircraft Type	Aircraft model	"A380-800"
Registration	Official registration	"D-AIAA"

Connectivity Configuration

Field	Description	Options
Satellite Provider	Connectivity provider	Inmarsat, Viasat, Starlink, Panasonic
IP Ranges	Network allocations	CIDR format (e.g., "10.1.0.0/24")
Portal Config	Optional portal override	Select from captive portals

Status & Monitoring

Field	Description	Values
Status	Operational status	active, maintenance, decommissioned, testing
Active	Active flag	true/false
Last Seen	Last connectivity timestamp	DateTime
Tags	Custom labels	test, simulator, premium, etc.

Viewing Vehicles in a Fleet

1. Open fleet details
2. View Vehicles section
3. See all vehicles with:
   • Tail number/name
   • Aircraft type
   • Status
   • Last seen timestamp

Configuration Management

Hierarchical Configuration

Fleet Management supports hierarchical configuration resolution with four priority levels:

Priority 1 (Lowest):  Global Configuration
Priority 2:           Airline Configuration
Priority 3:           Fleet Configuration
Priority 4 (Highest): Vehicle Configuration

Settings at higher priority levels override lower levels.

Fleet-Level Settings

Configure settings at the fleet level to apply to all vehicles:

1. Open fleet details
2. Click Settings
3. Configure:
   • Portal Theme - Default captive portal appearance
   • Default Tariff - Pricing plan for WiFi access
   • Network Settings - Default network configuration
   • Custom Settings - JSON-formatted configuration

Vehicle-Level Overrides

Override fleet settings for specific vehicles:

1. Open vehicle details
2. Click Configuration
3. Set vehicle-specific overrides:
   • Portal configuration
   • Network settings
   • Connectivity parameters

Configuration Strategy

1. Set defaults at the airline level for organization-wide settings
2. Set fleet-specific values at the fleet level for aircraft groups
3. Override only when necessary at the vehicle level for specific aircraft

Satellite Connectivity

Supported Providers

Fleet Management integrates with major satellite connectivity providers:

Provider	Use Case	Coverage
Inmarsat	Traditional aviation connectivity	Global maritime & aviation
Viasat	High-bandwidth broadband	North America, Europe
Starlink	Low-latency LEO satellite	Global (expanding)
Panasonic	Aviation-specific connectivity	Global aviation

Configuring Satellite Settings

1. Open vehicle details
2. Navigate to Connectivity
3. Select satellite provider
4. Configure provider-specific settings:
   • Antenna configuration
   • Bandwidth allocation
   • Service tier
5. Save configuration

Bulk Operations

Bulk Update Fleets

Update multiple fleets simultaneously:

1. Navigate to Fleet Management
2. Select multiple fleets (up to 50)
3. Click Bulk Edit
4. Choose fields to update:
   • Active status
   • Settings
5. Apply changes

Rate Limits

• Create: 50 fleets per minute
• Update: 100 updates per minute
• Delete: 100 deletions per minute
• Bulk operations: Maximum 50 items per request

Bulk Delete Fleets

Remove multiple fleets at once:

1. Select fleets to delete (up to 50)
2. Click Delete Selected
3. Confirm bulk deletion

Filtering and Search

Filter Options

By Name:

• Enter partial name to filter results
• Case-insensitive prefix matching
• Maximum 100 characters

By Type:

• Filter airlines (type='airline')
• Filter fleets (type='fleet')
• View all types

By Status:

• Active fleets only
• Inactive fleets
• All statuses

Sorting Options

Sort fleet lists by:

• Name - Alphabetical order
• Creation Date - Newest or oldest first
• Update Date - Recently modified first
• Vehicle Count - Fleets with most/least vehicles

Pagination

• Default: 25 fleets per page
• Configurable: 1-1000 fleets per page
• Navigate pages using page controls

Export and Reporting

CSV Export

Export fleet data for analysis:

1. Navigate to Fleet Management
2. Apply desired filters
3. Click Export
4. Select CSV format
5. Download file (maximum 1,000 records)

CSV includes:

• Fleet ID
• Fleet name
• Type
• Parent airline
• Vehicle count
• Active status
• Creation date

JSON API Export

Retrieve fleet data programmatically:

curl -X GET https://console.ironwifi.com/api/{company_id}/fleets?format=json \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN"

API Integration

Fleets can be managed programmatically via the IronWifi REST API.

API Endpoints

POST   /api/{company_id}/fleets              - Create fleet
GET    /api/{company_id}/fleets              - List all fleets
GET    /api/{company_id}/fleets/{fleet_id}   - Get fleet details
PATCH  /api/{company_id}/fleets/{fleet_id}   - Update fleet
DELETE /api/{company_id}/fleets/{fleet_id}   - Delete fleet

Create Fleet

curl -X POST https://console.ironwifi.com/api/{company_id}/fleets \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "name": "a380-long-haul",
    "type": "fleet",
    "description": "A380 aircraft for long-haul routes",
    "parent_id": "airline-uuid",
    "is_active": true,
    "settings": {
      "portal_theme": "airline-premium",
      "default_tariff": "international"
    }
  }'

Response:

{
  "id": "fleet-uuid"
}

List Fleets

curl -X GET "https://console.ironwifi.com/api/{company_id}/fleets?page=1&page_size=25&filter=a380" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN"

Query Parameters:

• filter - Fleet name filter (max 100 chars)
• page - Page number (default: 1)
• page_size - Items per page (1-1000, default: 25)
• sort - Sort field and direction
• type - Filter by type (airline/fleet)
• format - Response format (json/csv)

Get Fleet Details

curl -X GET https://console.ironwifi.com/api/{company_id}/fleets/{fleet_id} \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN"

Update Fleet

curl -X PATCH https://console.ironwifi.com/api/{company_id}/fleets/{fleet_id} \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "name": "a380-premium-fleet",
    "is_active": true,
    "settings": {
      "portal_theme": "updated-theme"
    }
  }'

Bulk Update

Update multiple fleets (comma-separated IDs, max 50):

curl -X PATCH https://console.ironwifi.com/api/{company_id}/fleets/uuid1,uuid2,uuid3 \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "is_active": false
  }'

Delete Fleet

curl -X DELETE https://console.ironwifi.com/api/{company_id}/fleets/{fleet_id} \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN"

Bulk Delete

Delete multiple fleets (comma-separated IDs, max 50):

curl -X DELETE https://console.ironwifi.com/api/{company_id}/fleets/uuid1,uuid2,uuid3 \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN"

Permissions

Access to Fleet Management is controlled by role-based permissions:

Permission	Access Level
fleets.read	View fleets and fleet details
fleets.full	Full access: create, update, delete fleets

Permission Requirements:

Operation	Required Permission
List fleets	fleets.read OR fleets.full
View fleet details	fleets.read OR fleets.full
Create fleet	fleets.full
Update fleet	fleets.full
Delete fleet	fleets.full
Bulk operations	fleets.full

Contact your administrator to request Fleet Management permissions.

Best Practices

1. Organizational Structure

For Airlines:

• Create one airline entity per airline operator
• Use official IATA/ICAO codes
• Set timezone to primary hub location

For Fleets:

• Group by aircraft type or operational purpose
• Use descriptive names indicating aircraft type and role
• Examples: "A350 International", "737-800 Domestic", "A320 Regional"

2. Naming Conventions

Airlines:

• Format: [Airline Name] (e.g., "Lufthansa", "American Airlines")
• Include IATA/ICAO codes in metadata

Fleets:

• Format: [Aircraft Type] [Purpose/Route]
• Examples:
  • "A380 Long-Haul"
  • "737 MAX Domestic"
  • "A320neo European Routes"

Vehicles:

• Format: [Tail Number] - [Aircraft Type]
• Examples:
  • "D-AIAA - A380-800"
  • "N12345 - 737-800"

3. Configuration Management

Hierarchy Usage:

1. Global: System-wide defaults
2. Airline: Airline branding, policies, default pricing
3. Fleet: Aircraft type-specific settings (bandwidth, portal themes)
4. Vehicle: Individual aircraft overrides (maintenance mode, testing)

When to Override:

• Override at lowest level necessary
• Use fleet-level settings for consistency
• Reserve vehicle overrides for exceptions

4. Maintenance and Updates

• Regularly audit fleet structure
• Remove decommissioned vehicles promptly
• Update aircraft types when fleet composition changes
• Review and update connectivity settings quarterly

5. Monitoring

• Track vehicle "last seen" timestamps
• Monitor connectivity status across fleet
• Set up alerts for vehicles showing no activity
• Review vehicle counts per fleet regularly

Troubleshooting

Fleet Not Appearing in List

Possible causes:

• Fleet belongs to different company
• Filters excluding the fleet
• Fleet marked as inactive

Solution:

1. Check active/inactive filter
2. Clear name filters
3. Verify company context
4. Check fleet status

Cannot Create Fleet

Possible causes:

• Insufficient permissions (need fleets.full)
• Duplicate fleet name
• Invalid name format
• Rate limit exceeded

Solution:

1. Verify you have fleets.full permission
2. Ensure fleet name is unique
3. Use only alphanumeric characters, spaces, dashes, underscores
4. Check name is 1-100 characters
5. Wait 60 seconds if rate limited

Vehicles Not Showing in Fleet

Possible causes:

• Vehicles not assigned to fleet
• Vehicle status set to inactive
• Database sync delay

Solution:

1. Verify vehicle fleet assignment
2. Check vehicle active status
3. Refresh fleet details page
4. Contact support if vehicles still missing

Bulk Operation Failed

Possible causes:

• More than 50 items selected
• Invalid UUID format
• Rate limit exceeded
• Insufficient permissions

Solution:

1. Reduce selection to maximum 50 items
2. Verify all IDs are valid UUIDs
3. Wait 60 seconds and retry
4. Check you have fleets.full permission

Configuration Not Applied

Possible causes:

• Higher priority override exists
• JSON settings malformed
• Cache not refreshed
• Vehicle not restarted

Solution:

1. Check configuration hierarchy (vehicle > fleet > airline > global)
2. Validate JSON settings syntax
3. Clear application cache
4. Restart vehicle equipment if applicable

Related Topics

• Venues - Physical location management
• Captive Portals - WiFi splash pages
• Users - Passenger/user management
• Groups - User access policies
• REST API - Programmatic access

FAQ

What's the difference between an Airline and a Fleet?

Airlines are top-level organizational units representing an airline or major operator. Fleets are groups of vehicles/aircraft within an airline, typically organized by aircraft type or operational purpose.

How many fleets can I create?

There is no hard limit on the number of fleets. Rate limits apply: 50 creates per minute.

Can a vehicle belong to multiple fleets?

No, each vehicle can only belong to one fleet at a time. To reorganize, update the vehicle's fleet assignment.

How do I track in-flight WiFi usage?

Use IronWifi's reporting features filtered by fleet or vehicle. Each authentication and session is associated with the vehicle, allowing per-aircraft analytics.

Can I use Fleet Management for non-aviation purposes?

Yes! While designed for aviation, Fleet Management works for any mobile WiFi deployment: buses, trains, ships, emergency vehicles, or portable hotspots.

What happens if I delete an airline?

Deleting an airline does not automatically delete child fleets or vehicles. You must delete or reassign them separately.

How do satellite providers integrate?

Fleet Management stores satellite provider configuration per vehicle. The WiFi equipment on each vehicle uses this configuration to establish connectivity through the specified provider.

Can I import fleets from CSV?

Not currently through the UI. Use the REST API to bulk create fleets programmatically. Contact support for assistance with large migrations.

What's the maximum number of vehicles per fleet?

There is no enforced maximum. The system is designed to handle thousands of vehicles per fleet efficiently.

How do I set up hierarchical configuration?

Create settings at airline level, override at fleet level if needed, and add vehicle-specific overrides only when necessary. The system automatically resolves configuration priority: vehicle → fleet → airline → global.