Aireon has signed a memorandum of understanding with France’s air navigation service provider for space-based ADS-B, Aireon says. Direction des Services de la Navigation Aérienne can now begin evaluating the technical and operation concepts of deploying the technology, which includes assessing safety, efficiency and reduced environmental impact benefits. The agency also plans to evaluate the impact of Aireon’s surveillance solution in areas with vast oceanic airspace.
“Aireon’s real-time surveillance capability could offer intriguing possibilities in-terms of overall cost-benefits, predominantly in areas of safety and efficiency; there is also the potential for terrestrial infrastructure redundancy and new surveillance provided throughout less than hospitable terrain,” says Philippe Barnola, director of strategy and investments for DSNA. “We are excited to bring our experience in managing a wide range of challenging airspace, as a contribution to the AireonSM system’s performances assessment.”
The service provider is a core member of the Central European Functional Airspace Block. It controlled more than 3 million flights throughout its airspace in 2016 and is in charge of managing the airspace over French Polynesia Oceania, New Caledonia, Antilles-French Guiana, a portion of the Indian Ocean and Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon.
Some results of the assessment could be that the French agency chooses to use Aireon’s capabilities as a primary solution for oceanic and remote airspace surveillance, or as a secondary-contingency solution to existing terrestrial-based surveillance systems. Aireon’s space-based ADS-B system is expected to be operational next year after the completion of the Iridium NEXT satellite constellation.