Rockwell Collins & SITA Introduce New Tracking Aircraft Solutions

New packages have been introduced by both Rockwell Collins and SITA, following high demand for cost-effective and reliable aircraft tracking and in readiness for the new global industry standards and rules – as much as the subject is still in debate to the extent of flight tracking capability.

Initial moves call for aircraft positioning data every 15 minutes, with a view to reviewing this figure and other requirements during potentially problematic situations or when flying over remote areas or vast oceanic expanses.

Tim Ryan, Director of Programs and Service Management for IMS at Rockwell Collins said, “What we have seen since the disappearance of Air France Flight 447 in 2009 is that there is always a desire to find a single ‘silver bullet’ solution. If we’ve learned anything over those years, we’ve learned that a single solution, while it can be fashioned, doesn’t meet the equally important facet of cost-effectiveness.”

Both companies can provide high-frequency surveillance data from equipped aircraft using Automatic Dependent Surveillance Contract (ADS-C), a part of FANS or ACARS using the Rockwell Collins’ ground-based high-frequency data link (HFDL) network, Inmarsat and Iridium satellite communications networks.

Rockwell Collins are currently working with five non-U.S. airlines on a new tracking services to be a part of their GLOBALink suite – to be officially launched next month.