Aireon Teams Up With FAA to Explore Uses of Space-Based ADS-B Air Traffic Surveillance Data; Don Thoma Quoted

Aireon has partnered with the Federal Aviation Administration to allow FAA to access and develop use cases for the company’s space-based Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast data in air traffic management. 

FAA will use Aireon's space-based ADS-B data to explore their potential uses in various applications, including airspace safety analysis, search and rescue, remote situational awareness, accident investigation data analysis and integration into air traffic control automation systems, Aireon said Thursday. 

Aireon CEO Don Thoma said the company considers the partnership a milestone in FAA's efforts to transform the operations and management of the U.S. airspace.

"We're excited to discover how this partnership can advance modernization throughout one of the world's most important airspaces with the addition of global, real-time data," Thoma added.

L3Harris Technologies serves as the prime contractor in the FAA’s terrestrial ADS-B air traffic surveillance program. 

“We are excited to explore how Aireon's space-based ADS-B will give the FAA an opportunity to investigate new ways of delivering safer skies through an integrated space-based and terrestrial system," said Jay Kreider, general manager of surveillance and automation solutions at L3Harris. “Evaluation of space-based ADS-B marks an exciting step towards modernizing the U.S. airspace.”