Jay Clemens
Inmarsat and the European Space Agency have secured $8.4 million in new funds for a new air traffic management infrastructure after completing a design review.
ESA and its partners will use the funds for the second phase of the Iris Precursor program meant to supplement current VHF networks with a new satellite network, Inmarsat said Tuesday.
“The European airspace is the most congested in the world, and this project will unlock the full potential of the aviation industry in the region and serve as a model for efficiently and effectively managed airspace for the rest of the world,†said Leo Mondale, president of Inmarsat Aviation.
Under the final design review, Inmarsat and ESA evaluated the architecture, system design, safety and security of the Iris program.
Iris Precursor is scheduled to provide air–ground communications for a four-dimensional flight path control by 2018 to aid in flight tracking and traffic management functions.
