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A NEW WORLDWIDE system that will allow emergency services to locate a crashed aircraft has been launched in Co Clare.
The world’s first ever global Aircraft Location and Emergency Response Tracking (Alert) service can track an aircraft in difficulty anywhere in the world.
The Aireon Alert service is the first of its kind in the world and will based at the IAA’s North Atlantic communications centre in Ballygirreen in Clare.
It’s believed that had such a system been in place when Malaysian Airlines flight MH-370 disappeared in 2014, the aircraft’s last recorded position would have been known and the Boeing 777 jet could have been found.
At the press conference and launch, Aerion CEO Don Thoma confirmed that the Aireon system was used following the crashes of Lion Air flight 610 in October 2018 and Ethiopian Airlines flight 302 in March of this year. Aireon’s analysis showed that both flights displayed similar flight profile before they crashed.
Until now, only 30% of the Earth’s surface was monitored through conventional ground radar surveillance. With the new system, users now have access to exact location information for aircraft in distress on-demand, which will dramatically benefit global emergency response efforts.
The system, which is now live, is a free service available to commercial aircraft operators/airlines, aviation regulators and search and rescue organisations.
Almost 200 organisations have already signed up for the system.
Irish Aviation Authority CEO Peter Kearney said that they are “proud to be powering Aireon Alert for the entire globe”.
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Great technology and fantastic to see this in Ireland. How is it being financed ? I see Journal and Journalist bashing busy again here. A strong press is one of the bulwarks against totalitarianism. The weakening of the press is the weakening of democracy and a civilised society.
@On the Up:
Good question! Free service, seemingly.
@On the Up: it’s financed through the industry… but at least you got an excuse to throw a few big words in.
@On the Up: why only now though.all the same great new great technology.
How about not been able to turn off the location tracking from the flight deck. Its bonkers that Google can tell me exactly where I have been been but not planes. Seriously how has this not been fixed yet. Guess there is no extra charge the airlines can come up with for it.
@Vincent #SaveDaredevil: google doesn’t know where you were, it knows where your phone was.
@Pilib: Unless you tow your phone behind you on a 200m rope, then it amounts to the same thing.
@Vincent #SaveDaredevil: Maybe because that’s not how location tracking works on planes? (Nor on your phone when you’re flying 35k feet above the sea, for that matter)
Is there a big dial showing how long is ‘A long long way from Clare to here’ in each case?
Very proud that Ireland are hosting / providing this service.
super and long overdue i guess…
Flight radar was good
Nice one
So that’s what those kites are for…
Must be a new day the journal hacks are starting to wake up with cheap storys as usual nothing changes here ha
@Liam Ward: What are you on about? I find this story very interesting, being interested in aviation and all that. Go back to bed.
Born in Australia to Hungarian parents represented Australia until 2012 then switched to representing another country seems almost as bad if not worse than situation in international soccer.
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