Image: Duncan
Research by Duncan Aviation shows that more than 10,000 business jets in the U.S. do not currently comply with the FAA’s 2020 ADS-B Out mandate, the company said. As of March 31, some 73% of business jets in the U.S. have not yet equipped.
“At the current rate of ADS-B adoption, about 4,760 aircraft will still need ADS-B when the mandate goes into effect,” said Mark Cote, Duncan Aviation’s VP of Parts Sales, Avionics and Satellites. “Those aircraft, for all intents and purposes, will be grounded. For the entire fleet to be ADS-B compliant, 320 aircraft need to be updated every month from now until the mandate goes into effect.”
Duncan Aviation said it used data from its proprietary customer database, the FAA and other industry sources to reach these estimates.
The company said that currently fewer than 160 aircraft are being updated every month. Last year, the company estimated that more than 2,000 business aircraft might be grounded come 2020 due to noncompliance. But Duncan Aviation’s most recent research shows greater numbers, and the company said it demonstrates a more urgent need to install ADS-B Out.
“The FAA has stated several times that the mandate deadline will not change,” Cote said. “With limited labor and hangar capacity, operators need to plan ahead to ensure their business aircraft will be able to continue to meet its mission and company needs.”
So far, Duncan Aviation said capacity is not a problem for its facilities. It is also offering a slot program, which works as a reservation service.