Malaysia Airlines has announced a new global flight tracking agreement, which will allow it to track “the location, heading, speed and altitude of all aircraft in its fleet, at all times”.
The new partnership with technology providers Sitaonair, Aireon and Flightaware will give the carrier access to “minute-by-minute, 100 per cent global, flight tracking data”, and is the first service of its kind adopted by an airline.
Malaysia Airlines said that its aircraft operations centre will receive real-time position updates of its airborne fleet globally, adding that “Aireon’s space-based ADS-B data will also resolve any existing data feed coverage gaps that remain, particularly over oceanic and remote airspace, where there is currently no surveillance”.
Announcing the new service the carrier’s COO Captain Izham Ismail said:
“Real-time global aircraft tracking has long been a goal of the aviation community. We are proud to be the first airline to adopt this solution using space-based ADS-B data as part of Sitaonair’s Aircom FlightTracker.”
In 2014 Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 disappeared while en route between Kuala Lumpur and Beijing. Despite extensive searches the aircraft wreckage has never been located.
Commenting on the agreement Aireon CEO Don Thoma said:
“Malaysia Airlines has taken a lead role in the industry since the tragic events of 2014. Real-time, global flight tracking, anywhere on the planet will further its safety goals, by allowing Malaysia Airlines to track its aircraft anytime, anywhere.”
