South Africa’s ATNS to go live with Aireon data in 2023

South Africa’s Air Traffic and Navigation Services (ATNS) has launched operational trials of Aireon’s space-based automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) data, clearing the way for full operational implementation in April 2023.

ATNS provides air traffic, navigation, training, and associated services within South Africa and a large part of the Southern Indian and Atlantic Ocean, comprising approximately 10 percent of the world’s airspace. To achieve operational readiness in all controlled airspace, ATNS began operational trials of Aireon’s data in August.

The implementation for ATNS includes the integration of Aireon ADS-B data within ATNS’s operational environment with legacy terrestrial surveillance systems, where available, to support ATS surveillance and separation services.

“Our surveillance strategy seeks to ensure optimal surveillance coverage in remote and oceanic airspace, provide surveillance redundancy, and allow for the implementation of potential contingency applications, all of which are made possible by using this space-based ADS-B technology,” said Nozipho Mdawe, Chief Executive Officer of ATNS.

“Aireon’s space-based ADS-B data has tremendous potential to help ANSPs achieve robust efficiency and provides significant environmental and safety benefits. ATNS has been a strong, early supporter of space-based ADS-B, and we look forward to continuing our support of their mission with the full implementation of space-based ADS-B next year,” said Don Thoma, Aireon CEO.