An Irish aviation facility has become the first of its kind to allow all flights from around the world to be tracked.
New technology in Co Clare will allow the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) to use satellite receivers to track the flights from its North Atlantic Communications Centre in Ballygirreen.
The IAA today launched the Aircraft Location and Emergency Response Tracking (ALERT) service.
Only 30% of the Earth’s surface could be tracked before today.
Aerion CEO Don Thoma confirmed that the Aireon system was used following the crashes of Lion Air flight 610 in October 2018 and Ethiopian Airlines flight 302 in March of this year. Aireon’s analysis showed that both flights displayed a similar flight profile before they crashed.
It’s believed had such a system been in place when Malaysian Airlines flight MH-370 disappeared in 2014, the aircraft’s last recorded position would have been known and the Boeing 777 jet would have been found. To date, despite massive searches, only pieces of wreckage believed to be from MH-370 have been found, while the main aircraft section has never been located.
The system could also have located the wreckage of Air France flight AF-447, which crashed in the Atlantic in 2009 killing all 228 passengers and crew - including three Irish doctors.
Until now, only 30% of the Earth’s surface was monitored through conventional ground radar surveillance. With Aireon ALERT however, users now have access to exact location information for aircraft in distress on-demand, which will dramatically benefit global emergency response efforts.
The new Aireon system, which is now live, is a free service available to commercial aircraft operators/airlines, aviation regulators and search and rescue organisations the last known position of any aircraft globally. Almost 200 organisations have already signed up for the system.
It allows for identification of an accurate position for an aircraft that is in an apparent state of distress or experiencing a loss in communication. Aireon ALERT connects with the aircraft’s Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS), which is already fitted in the majority of aircraft in the world.
At a special launch event, broadcast live over the internet from Ballygirreen today, Peter Kearney, CEO of the Irish Aviation Authority, said: “The IAA has always been about innovation and service excellence.
"Our position, as a partner in Aireon and in the provision of this global service further strengthens Ireland’s role as a key player in the global aviation industry.
"Our facility in Ballygirreen, Co Clare is now providing the Aireon ALERT service 24 hours a day, every day.
"We are excited to play such a critical role in delivering this game-changing service to market. Building on our role as a key player in communications for the North Atlantic, we are now proud to be powering Aireon ALERT for the entire globe."
Operated by the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA), Aireon ALERT is enabled by the AireonSM system, the world’s first global air traffic surveillance service. This system, which went live on 2nd of April 2019, monitors all ADS-B-equipped aircraft flying across the world.
Aerion CEO Don Thoma said: “Now that the Aireon system is operational, we are thrilled to deliver this much-needed public service to the industry.
"Aireon ALERT can provide the most accurate and precise aircraft locating data for emergency and distress situations, free of charge.
"As the operator of the world’s only global aircraft surveillance system, we recognize our unique position to provide such a critical service to the aviation community and see it as our duty to provide this data to the proper authorities to assist in emergency situations."
Aireon ALERT users do not need to be customers of Aireon or the IAA to access the service; however, it is important that all commercial aircraft operators/airlines, aviation regulators and search and rescue organizations register to ensure they can contact the 24/7/365 operations facility, in the event of an emergency, to obtain the last known position of its aircraft.
This data includes a map of the last 15 minutes of flight, with one plot per minute and a four-dimensional report including altitude, latitude, longitude and time information.
Based on the situation, additional tracking information may also be provided.
