SITA Starts Sending Flying Signals Via Iridium Net

SITA is going to use the Iridium network to serve short haul aircraft as the company expands their aircraft communications business. The new SITA offering responds to airlines with short-haul fleets such as AIRBUS A320 and Boeing 737/757. These planes already have ACARS (Aircraft Communications, Addressing and Reporting System) avionics and use the VHF link to access the AIRCOM service. They are all equipped with the necessary avionics to access the service via the Iridium network. Many airlines are sending short-haul aircraft to more remote destinations, where they may lose VHF voice radio access to pilots. The 66 Iridium satellites are in Low-Earth Orbit (LEO), enabling the use of much lighter avionics than for communications via geo-stationary satellites. These lighter avionics can then be placed on the smaller aircraft that airlines are using to fly to remote locations. The Iridium avionics provide data capacity for ACARS communications and voice service of much better quality than the legacy HF radio that these short-haul aircraft need to use when outside VHF radio coverage. The satellites also provide coverage over the North and South Poles where HF was until now the only option. So the long haul aircraft that fly these routes will also benefit from being equipped to use Iridium.