CONNECTIVITY
systems on-board the aircraft to the
corresponding systems used by air traffic
controllers on the ground.
Environmental benefits from
decreased CO2 emissions
At present, inefficiencies in European
airspace add an average of 42km to the
distance of an average flight. More efficient
flight paths enabled by Iris and SESAR will
reduce fuel burn and CO2 emissions, and
lessen the need for vectoring and holding
patterns. This is an increasingly important
consideration for both passengers concerned
about carbon footprints and airlines bound
by ever-stricter environmental regulations
across the EU.
Happier passengers from shorter
trips and fewer delays
While Iris is designed to deliver gamechanging
operational benefits to airlines, it
has some surprising implications for the
passenger experience, too. Iris means a
much lower risk of disruption and a faster,
more comfortable journey. Popular
destinations tend to stack inbound aircraft
on a first come, first served basis, and this is
notorious for delaying flights.
With the significantly advanced trajectory
management Iris makes possible, however,
ATC can instead sequence aircraft well
ahead of their approach to make best use of
runway capacity, and better cope with
overloads caused by spikes in air traffic or
bad weather. As far as passengers are
concerned, the less time wasted circling the
skies in a holding pattern, the better.
The sky’s the limit: the future of airline
operational cost savings revealed
Airlines are set to see significant savings
from satellite communications initiatives,
such as Iris. The London School of
Economics recently released the second
chapter of Sky High Economics, a report
studying the benefits of operational
connectivity in the aviation industry. The
report concludes that the connected aircraft,
together with global satellite
communications and the technology of the
Internet of Things, can bring about
efficiencies and enhancements in four key
categories for aviation. These categories
include: connected operations, maintenance
operations control, airline operations
control, and air traffic control.
Within these categories there are
numerous benefits that can be realised.
These include: reduced fuel consumption
and emissions, maintenance and flight
optimisation, better fleet utilisation and
airspace capacity and improvements to the
safety of aircraft and passengers. According
to the report, all these operational benefits
combined could yield savings for the global
airline industry of up to US$7.5 billion
annually based on existing connected
aircraft numbers, rising to almost US$15
billion annually by 2035.
80 AIR TRAFFIC TECHNOLOGY INTERNATIONAL 2020
Iris ushers in a new standard
for cybersecurity in aviation
With IP connectivity comes great responsibility,
and Inmarsat takes cybersecurity very seriously.
As a leader in cybersecurity, Inmarsat works
closely with regulators and other stakeholders
to collaborate on standards for cybersecurity
and to help prepare for the future needs of
aviation customers. An example of this is
Inmarsat’s corporate-level ISO 27001
certification, which demonstrates that its
internal networks, policies and standards
comply with the highest cybersecurity
standards. The company has adopted industry
best practices and certification for information
security and has developed the most
sophisticated and secure networks for data link
and voice using VPN and KPI infrastructures.
Looking ahead to 2021
Iris commercial flight trials will begin in 2020
after an agreement was reached with a leading
European airline and this will be followed by
the rollout of full commercial service in 2021,
upon completion of initial operating
capabilities, commercial trials, and European
Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) certification.
Iris is well on its way to provide one of the
key elements of ATM digitalization: a vital data
link service, enabling more efficient, costeffective
air traffic management. The
programme is a pivotal initiative for
modernizing European airspace and delivering
powerful benefits for air navigation services
providers and airlines alike. v