The EU SANDRA (Seamless Aeronautical Networking through integration of Data-Links, Radios and Antennas) project 1 aims to design, specify and develop an integrated aircraft communication system to improve efficiency and cost-effectiveness by ensuring a high degree of flexibility, scalability, modularity and reconfigurability. SANDRA aims at the definition of an access to an open system resulting in a collection of communications technologies targeted at specific operational settings. Within the paper the main ideas of this envisaged communications concept are addressed. Furthermore, quality of service management strategies are assessed with respect to their applicability and efficiency in the ATM (Air Traffic Management) context. Additionally, techniques for the selection of links for data transmission and the interaction between technology independent and technology dependent components in the networking architecture are covered by means of standardized communication protocols such as IEEE 802.21 and ETSI BSM extensions.