Aireon's ADS-B Air Traffic Tracking System Now Live

Aireon's satellite-based automatic dependent surveillance broadcast (ADS-B) system for real-time air traffic tracking is now live and in trial use over the North Atlantic, the company said Tuesday. It said the service should lead to airlines being better able to optimize speeds and altitudes, reducing costs, while air traffic controllers can be more efficient in air space use by reducing aircraft separation distances. Air traffic control company Nav Canada said 95 percent of North Atlantic traffic is already ADS-B equipped. Aireon ADS-B payloads are part of Iridium's Next constellation, and the last of those satellites were deployed in January (see 1902070007).