Aireon to Launch Free, Real-Time Emergency Aircraft Location Service

August 22, 2018

Courtney E. Howard

Aireon LLC, a global aircraft tracking and surveillance company in McLean, Va., is inviting aircraft operators, regulators, search-and-rescue organizations, and air navigation service providers (ANSPs) to pre-register for Aireon Aircraft Locating and Emergency Response Tracking ( ALERT ). Aireon ALERT, operated by the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA), is being touted as the aviation industry’s first and only free, global, real-time emergency aircraft location service, which is slated to begin service in Q1 2019.

In the first quarter of 2019, Aireon will offer a public service to the world’s aviation industry for locating and tracking ADS-B equipped aircraft in emergency situations.

Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs), aircraft operators or airlines, regulators, and search-and-rescue organizations in need of crucial aircraft location data can rely on the free, global Aireon ALERT real-time emergency aircraft location service to help provide the most recently known position of an aircraft equipped with ADS-B OUT 1090MHz.

A free service, Aireon ALERT will fill a critical need, ensuring search and rescue personnel have the most accurate aircraft position data available when responding to an incident, regardless of global location, officials say.

Before the Aireon space-based ADS-B system, real-time aircraft tracking and surveillance was not possible for the entire planet. Remote, oceanic, and polar regions had little or no real-time air traffic surveillance – which proved to be a tremendous inefficiency and to have safety , financial, and environmental consequences. The ability to know the location of an aircraft in distress while over remote or oceanic airspace is a new, invaluable asset, especially in emergency situations where just a few minutes of time can make a difference, officials say.

Aireon ALERT will use the company’s space-based ADS-B data and will be operated by the IAA. The Aireon ALERT 24/7 communications facility is located at IAA’s North Atlantic Communications Centre in Ballygirreen, Ireland.

Aireon ALERT users do not have to be Aireon or IAA customers, yet they must register for the free, emergency service.

Courtney E. Howard is editorial director and content strategist at SAE International, Aerospace Products Group. Contact her by e-mail at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..