June 20, 2016 – Panasonic Avionics has announced that it is offering worldwide satellite tracking to all Global Communications Services and FlightLink customers. According to the company, both Global Communications Services and FlightLink, when combined with Panasonic’s AirMap application, satisfy ICAO’s Global Aeronautical Distress and Safety System definitions for both normal and abnormal flight tracking.
Paul Margis, president and CEO of Panasonic Avionics said, “Today, we can seamlessly enable flight tracking on over 1,500 aircraft, and we expect to extend this capability to over 3,500 aircraft over the short term. We believe that this service will ultimately help improve the operational efficiency and safety of commercial air travel.”
To support these satellite-based solutions, Panasonic has deployed extensive ground- and aircraft-based communications solutions that enable tracking of aircraft. The AirMap application is the airline portal into these operations and provides them a graphical way to monitor, track and receive alerts on their aircraft.
Panasonic’s flight tracking is based on the company’s Ku-band eXConnect broadband and Iridium satellite communications solutions. This allows airlines to integrate cockpit and crew communications with their flight tracking capabilities, giving them the opportunity to use voice or text messaging to contact an aircraft, based on the situational awareness they receive from Panasonic’s tracking solutions.
Margis added, “Our airline partners have already made a commitment to purchase a satellite communications system for passenger and/or operational usage. With only incremental cost to add the AirMap application, they will have an elegant and cost-effective solution without having to spend even more capital on a separate tracking technology.”
