The Star v-trkTORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - March 12, 2015) -Star Navigation Systems Group Ltd. ("Star "or "the Company") (TSX VENTURE:SNA)(SNAVF) notes that on February 3, 2015, the International Civil Aviation Organization ("ICAO") recommended that while in remote areas, aircraft report their position every 15 minutes during normal operations.
Flight tracking technology with 15 minute interval reporting is already flying with Star's customers and is readily available. The Star V-TRK is able to report at intervals as short as 5 seconds and provides critical flight data such as altitude, heading, ground speed, precise GPS location coordinates and the aircraft tail number. Geofencing, trip reports and other critical functionalities are part and parcel of all of Star's flight tracking devices. The devices use the Iridium satellite constellation, noted for its worldwide coverage, even over remote locations and 99.6 % reliability. In addition, the current STAR-A.D.S. ™ system satisfies the future Global Aeronautical Distress and Safety System ("GADSS") concept provided and recommended by ICAO for triggered streaming in case of imminent incident.
The ICAO recommendation, made at the UN aviation body's High Level Safety Conference in Montreal, could become effective this fall using an "expedited" approval process, said Olumuyiwa Aliu, president of the ICAO Council.
According to the International Air Transport Association ("IATA"), the standard is the first regulatory response at an international level to prevent airliners from vanishing completely and reducing the search area over water and remote areas. Setting the new standard at 15min reduces the search area to about 100nm for an aircraft cruising at a normal speed of 470kt.
Aircraft such as the B777 and A320 are not meant to disappear. They are fitted with the latest technologies. What seems to be required is an Independent Flight Tracking device. Star offers a wide variety of very cost effective complete solutions to operators and airlines, allowing them to track their flights anywhere in the World and to provide quicker response time in case of accident.
As a part of the ITU/ICAO real time monitoring of flight data and cloud computing Project, Star will continue to work diligently to offer solutions to these problems. It will continue to develop new and innovative products which contribute to the safety of air travel and the profitability of the airline transport community.