Agreement will begin concept of operations on safety, efficiency and environmental benefits of deploying Aireon^SM in Spanish airspace  

MCLEAN, Virginia, March 30 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Aireon announced today that it has signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with Spanish Air Navigation Service Provider (ANSP) ENAIRE.  Through this agreement, ENAIRE will begin investigating the safety, efficiency and environmental benefits of deploying space-based automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) technology in its airspace.

ENAIRE controls more than 2.2 million square kilometres of airspace including the Iberian Peninsula, minus Portugal, the North Atlantic, Western Mediterranean, Ceuta and Melilla, the Canary and Balearic archipelago. Through this airspace, ENAIRE manages approximately 2 million flights per year that include routes over oceanic airspace including the northern portion of the Madrid Flight Information Region (FIR) and the majority of the Canary FIR.  Space-based ADS-B would for the first time offer ENAIRE 100 percent, real-time visibility for all of its airspace, including remote and oceanic regions.

"ENAIRE already has extensive experience with ground based ADS-B, making reviewing the capabilities of space-based ADS-B in both the European and Canary environment a very attractive option," said Enrique Maurer, chief technology officer, ENAIRE. "We look forward to fully examining how space-based ADS-B could address the challenges associated with the European ADS-B mandate as well as its benefits to achieve a more cost-effective contingency layer."

Aireon's space-based ADS-B system is scheduled for completion in 2018, upon total deployment of the Iridium^® NEXT satellite constellation.  On January 14, 2017, the first ten satellites were launched by SpaceX from their west coast launch facility at Vandenberg Air Force Base.  Seven additional launches are scheduled to take place over the next 12 to 15 months.  Space-based ADS-B will offer ANSPs total real-time surveillance of all their airspace for ADS-B equipped aircraft.

"ENAIRE operates complex and non-contiguous Flight Information Regions that can benefit from the implementation of space-based ADS-B in various ways," said Vincent Capezzuto, chief technology officer and vice president of engineering, Aireon. "In addition to real-time visibility into the challenging Canary FIR, our system can offer a low barrier to entry for full ADS-B coverage in Spain's busy airspace."

For more information about Aireon, visit: www.Aireon.com 
For more information about ENAIRE, visit: www.ENAIRE.es

About Aireon LLC

Aireon is deploying a global, space-based Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) system capable of surveilling and tracking ADS-B equipped aircraft around the globe in real-time. The system will be used to provide ADS-B coverage that will span oceanic, polar and remote regions, where current surveillance systems are limited to line-of-site and densely populated areas. Aireon will harness the best of aviation surveillance advancements already underway and extend them globally in order to significantly improve efficiency, expand safety, reduce emissions and provide cost savings to aviation stakeholders. In partnership with leading ANSPs from around the world, NAV CANADA, ENAV, the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) and Naviair, as well as Iridium Communications, Aireon is developing an operational, global, space-based air traffic surveillance system expected to be available by 2018. For more information about Aireon, visit: www.aireon.com.

About ENAIRE

ENAIRE is Spain's leader with a global vision in the provision of air navigation services and the fourth largest provider of air traffic services in Europe. It manages 2 million flights every year from five area control centres and 22 control towers. We control an extensive and complex airspace of more than 2 million square kilometers, including a continental area in the Iberian Peninsula, the Canary Islands and Balearic archipelago, Ceuta and Melilla. As we are located geographically in the Southwest of Europe, in addition to flights whose origin and destination are Spanish airports, we manage flights entering Europe from two continents – America and Africa – and cover the main entry route for air traffic from South America. The traffic managed by ENAIRE transports more than 230 million people annually.

PRESS CONTACTS:
Jessie Hillenbrand
Aireon
+1 (703) 287-7452
Jessie.Hillenbrand@Aireon.com

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SOURCE Aireon