Flight Safety Foundation, Aireon Forge Partnership to Advance Global Aviation Safety

March 12, 2019
The Foundation will oversee the development of safety performance indicators (SPIs) and other important safety metrics and analytics using space-based ADS-B data.

MADRID — Flight Safety Foundation has announced an agreement with Aireon to collaborate on applying spaced-based automatic dependent surveillance–broadcast (ADS-B) data to develop, share and identify safety risks in global airspace and use this information to inform emerging issues. Under a new phase of the Foundation’s Global Safety Information Program (GSIP), the Foundation will oversee the development of safety performance indicators (SPIs) and other important safety metrics and analytics using space-based ADS-B data. The announcement was made at the World ATM Congress in Madrid.

“The goal of GSIP is to accelerate the knowledge gained from collecting and analyzing operational data in order to impact future safety performance,” said Dr. Hassan Shahidi, president and CEO of the Foundation. “We believe that Aireon’s ADS-B data, derived from their real-time air traffic surveillance system, is a key component of the operational information needed to produce safety performance knowledge, which can provide new insights into safety of operations in all regions around the world.” 

The Foundation will be building on the global risk areas identified as part of GSIP and will focus the initial space-based ADS-B-derived SPIs on risks in approach and landing, loss of separation, and surface safety.

“Aireon is honored to be partnering with the Foundation to utilize our data for improving global aviation safety,” said Don Thoma, CEO of Aireon. “The Foundation has an incredible history and is a leader in promoting and influencing aviation safety. With a 70-year legacy in advancing aviation safety globally, we are pleased that they have chosen to use space-based ADS-B and apply it in an impartial and independent manner to further enhance aviation safety globally.” 

In the near term, the Foundation will be instituting an oversight and governance process for handling the data and establishing partnerships to develop SPIs and safety insights. The derived safety performance indicators will be made available to industry stakeholders as part of the Foundation’s activities.

About Flight Safety Foundation

Flight Safety Foundation is an independent, nonprofit, international organization engaged in research, education, advocacy and communications to improve aviation safety. The Foundation’s mission is to connect, influence and lead global aviation safety.