CONNECTIVITY
AIR TRAFFIC TECHNOLOGY INTERNATIONAL 2020 79.
travel disruption, and negative economic and
environmental consequences. The Iris
programme will alleviate pressure on these
ground-based radio frequencies by
introducing a safe, secure satellite-based air
traffic management data link between
aircraft and air traffic control.
Inmarsat and ESA and more than 30
partners have been researching and planning
Iris for the past five years. They designed the
Iris system, conducted flight trials to validate
performance and economic viability, and
ensured compliance with the Single
European Sky ATM Research (SESAR)
masterplan and data link requirements.
Requirements for transitioning to future
capabilities have also been established and
commercial avionics are now being
developed and certified by multiple
companies to support the technology.
Inmarsat’s digital operations platform
Iris is powered by Inmarsat’s award-winning
SB-S digital aircraft operations platform,
using its robust and reliable L-band satellite
constellation, which has underpinned global
safety services for 40 years.
SB-S delivers secure, real-time operational
and safety connectivity solutions that drive
costs down and assure safety. In bringing
digital transformation to the aviation
industry, SB-S unlocks millions of dollars in
savings for airlines through connected
applications like graphic weather, long haul
flight optimisation, in air flight briefs and
virtual crew rooms.
The benefits of digital transformation
The Iris programme delivers powerful
benefits to airlines and Air Navigation
Service Providers (ANSPs) across Europe by
enabling high bandwidth, highly-secure and
cost-effective satellite-based data link
communications.
Fuel savings and increased flight
eiciency with 4D trajectory
This allows aircraft to be pinpointed in four
dimensions (4D), which include latitude,
longitude, altitude and time. With 4D
trajectory operations, aircraft can
automatically adapt their speed and
trajectory in flight to arrive at a given point
in space at a time pre-agreed with Air Traffic
Control. As the trajectory of each aircraft is
defined in detail in advance, with local
conditions and other airspace users taken
into account, the overall predictability and
efficiency of air traffic will be enhanced. This
precise flight tracking and more efficient air
traffic management reduces delays and saves
fuel.
Enhanced security through VPN
Iris is the future of real-time, secure air
traffic management. The transition to highspeed
broadband ushers in an era of greater
connectivity and more devices with the
potential to connect. Iris protects aircraft
communications from cyber threats with
security gateways. These gateways provide a
VPN barrier between the ground and each
aircraft that assures mutual authentication
and integrity of data exchange. They also
securely connect the flight management