Inmarsat is set to offer a free global airline tracking service to passenger airliners, in response to the anticipated adoption of further aviation safety measures following the disappearance of flight MH370.
Proposed to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the new service is being provided to all 11,000 commercial passenger jets that are currently equipped with an Inmarsat satellite connection.
Alongside the free global airline tracking service, Inmarsat will offer an improved position reporting facility to support reduced in-flight aircraft separation, as well as a ‘black box in the cloud’ service.
The black box in cloud service enables historic and real-time flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder information to be streamed off an aircraft to defined aviation safety recipients during certain defined trigger events such an unapproved course deviation.
Inmarsat CEO Rupert Pearce said the company was confident that the proposals it has presented to ICAO and IATA represent a major contribution to enhancing aviation safety services on a global basis.
"Because of the universal nature of existing Inmarsat aviation services, our proposals can be implemented right away on all ocean-going commercial aircraft using equipment that is already installed.
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By GlobalData"Furthermore, our leading aviation safety partners are fully supportive of expanded use of the ADS-C Service through the Inmarsat network. This offer responsibly, quickly and at little or no cost to the industry, addresses in part the problem brought to light by the recent tragic events around MH370."
The announcement comes before the conference on aircraft tracking being hosted by ICAO in Montreal on 12 May.
