News
Leonardo to integrate Aireon ADS-B into LeadInSky
September 13, 2018 By Helicopters Staff
Leonardo signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Aireon LLC, which develops a unique space-based air traffic surveillance system, to provide what the company describes as advanced Air Traffic Management solutions for Air Navigation Service Providers. The agreement will see Leonardo integrate space-based Automatic Dependent Broadcast (ADS-B) data into its LeadInSky Air Traffic Management (ATM) platform.
LeadInSky, explains Leonardo, offers safer and more secure air traffic control via multi-level redundancies and disaster-recovery capabilities. The company states this delivers a high level of data-processing availability and maintains consistency through the multiple levels of redundancy.
LeadInSky is also designed to offer what Leonardo describes as seamless control capability, merging data from a variety of sources to deliver a complete picture of air traffic, from the airport gates to when aircraft are en-route to their destinations. By integrating space-based ADS-B data into LeadInSky, Leonardo will allow Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs) to dynamically optimize flight routes and improve airspace management using what the companies describe as the only global, real-time dataset of aircraft movements that covers ADS-B equipped aircraft.
“Space-based ADS-B data will be integrated seamlessly into [the] LeadInSky ATM system and provide end-users with an unprecedented dataset that can be used to enhance safety and optimize operations throughout the ANSP,” said Davide Cioppi, senior VP, traffic control systems of Leonardo’s Security and information Systems division. “Leonardo is ready to support the introduction to space-based ADS-B data — with a global, real-time data set, this will change the aviation industry as we know it.”
The Aireon service is scheduled to be operational by the end of 2018, shortly after the completion of the Iridium NEXT satellite constellation. In total, the constellation will consist of 66 operational low-Earth-orbit satellites providing global coverage with an additional nine orbiting spares and six ground spares.
“This [Memorandum of Understanding] was created with our future ANSP customers in mind,” said Cyriel Kronenburg, VP of aviation services, Aireon. “The seamless integration of space-based ADS-B data into ATM automation platforms is pivotal for the deployment and use of space-based ADS-B worldwide. Leonardo will enable the Aireon data to flow into their platform as just another source of data, making training and deployment that much easier.”
