Aireon space-based ADS-B. Credit: Aireon
TAMPA, Fla. — Iridium Communications is buying the rest of the Aireon aircraft-tracking venture its connectivity constellation hosts to push further into aviation safety, surveillance and data services.
The McLean, Virginia-based operator said May 14 it has agreed to acquire the remaining 61% of Aireon it does not already own for about $367 million from five air navigation service providers, or ANSPs: NAV CANADA, NATS (England), Naviair (Denmark), AirNav Ireland and Italy’s ENAV.
Aireon has provided a tracking service using the Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) signals broadcast by aircraft since 2019, when the last of the 66 operational Iridium Next satellites were deployed in low Earth orbit.
Supported by GPS and other global navigation satellite systems, these signals provide air traffic controllers with more precise flight information and could play a growing role in AI-driven aviation safety and efficiency tools.
