Aireon announces landmark deal with the Airports Authority of India
Aireon LLC has announced that The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has signed a contract to implement Aireonâs air traffic surveillance service in Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkataâs oceanic airspaces. These regions are located in the Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal and Indian Ocean and represent over six million square kilometers. The goal is to deploy space-based Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) by the end of 2019.
This landmark agreement will immediately provide AAI coverage of all ADS-B OUT 1090 MHz equipped oceanic air traffic, ensuring one of the densest oceanic airspaces in the world has access to the best tools to enhance safety and efficiency and accommodate unprecedented double-digit growth, year over year. Beyond those benefits, real-time air traffic surveillance over the busy routes between South East Asia, India, the Middle East and Europe and beyond will significantly increase efficiency and improve transitions between oceanic and domestic airspace.
âThe decision to implement Aireonâs technology is not only a major step in improving safety and enhancing capacity for our flying public, but also ensures that as one of the globeâs fastest growing markets, we are planning for our continued growth,â said Dr. Guruprasad Mohapatra, Chairman, AAI. âAAI will be the first Air Navigation Service Provider in the region to implement a technological initiative, on this scale, and offer enhanced air traffic surveillance services to its users.â
India has become the third largest aviation market in the world with a rate of sustained double-digit growth for the last 50 months. Forecasts suggest that the growth will continue, and Indian airspace is going to experience an imminent need for additional capacity.
âAAIâs leadership and approach to technology and safety is ensuring that one of the worldâs busiest airspaces continues to be one of the safest,â said Aireonâs CEO, Don Thoma. âWe are excited that AAI will be the first in the region to deploy this capability and we look forward to this partnership to improve safety and efficiency in Indian airspace.â
The AAI contract signing comes three months after the Aireon service went live on April 2nd, 2019. With AAI moving forward with full implementation of space-based ADS-B, set for yearâs end, AAI will ensure India meets its growing capacity demand with the controller tools needed to provide the highest safety standards to its flying public. Indiawill join 26 other countries who are actively deploying Aireonâs space-based ADS-B for air traffic surveillance.