TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Feb. 10, 2015) - Star Navigation Systems Group Ltd. ("Star "or "the Company") (TSX VENTURE:SNA)(OTCBB:SNAVF) -
The work of the ITU Focus Group formed to find solutions to the problem of missing aircraft is totally in line with the recently released IATA Aircraft Tracking Task Force (ATTF) recommendations to airlines and other air carriers. In addition, it's comes to similar conclusions as does the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in its recommendations to the FAA in the USA.
Star provided expert input into both the ITU/ICAO and IATA meetings and working groups and continues as part of the ITU Focus Group. (See Press Releases June 2, 2014, December 17, 2014).
The ATTF has developed a set of "performance criteria" to describe a baseline for aircraft tracking functionality. These criteria must be considered by air carriers when implementing or enhancing aircraft tracking capabilities. Significant criteria are:
- The information for aircraft tracking should include the aircraft 4D position (latitude, longitude, altitude and time) and aircraft identification.
- When transmitted by the aircraft, the tracking accuracy of the position report should be at least 1 NM (nautical mile) or better depending on the aircraft's navigation system capability.
- The aircraft tracking system should have the ability to increase its reporting rate based on established triggering parameters.
- Any new airborne equipment or modification to existing equipment shall meet the appropriate airworthiness requirements.
The report also stated that the criteria were developed to enable effective, near term implementation and can be achieved through a combination of existing technologies and procedures. The ATTF report recommends that aircraft operators, air navigation service providers and tracking and communications service providers evaluate their current aircraft tracking capabilities against the criteria and that operators not currently meeting these criteria do so within 12 months of the issue of the ATTF report.
Star is preparing the most appropriate aviation use cases, the parameters required for those use cases and other details to be incorporated in the ITU Focus Group recommendations to ICAO.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) of USA recommends that the FAA require that;
1. All aircraft used in extended overwater operations that are required to have a cockpit voice recorder and a flight data recorder, be equipped with a tamper-resistant method to broadcast to a ground station sufficient information to establish the location where an aircraft terminates flight as the result of an accident within 6 nautical miles of the point of impact.
2. All newly manufactured aircraft used in extended overwater operations that are required to have a cockpit voice recorder and a flight data recorder, be equipped with a means to recover, at a minimum, mandatory flight data parameters; the means of recovery should not require underwater retrieval. Data should be captured from a triggering event until the end of the flight and for as long a time period before the triggering event as possible.
3. Coordinate with other international regulatory authorities and the ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) to harmonize the implementation of the requirements outlined.
Star, together with other participants including Lufthansa, IATA, ICAO, Boeing and Teledyne will attend the next ITU meeting to be held in Geneva in May, 2015 anticipating final report submission in August, 2015. The ITU will then finalize all the reports into one and will submit to ITU T-SAG and consequently ICAO for adoption/implementation in early 2016.
Star will continue to contribute its experience and expertise to this important initiative until the final report is submitted to ICAO.
About Star Navigation: (www.star-navigation.com)
Star Navigation Systems Group Ltd. owns the exclusive worldwide license to its proprietary, patented In-flight Safety Monitoring System, STAR-ISMS®, the heart of the STAR-A.D.S. ™ System. It is the first system in the world to feature in-flight data-analysis, monitoring and diagnostics with a real-time connection between aircraft and ground. Its real-time capability of tracking performance trends and predicting incident-occurrence enhances aviation safety and improves fleet management while reducing costs for the operator.
Star's MMI Division designs and manufactures high performance mission critical flight deck, flat panel displays for defence and commercial aviation industries worldwide.
Certain statements contained in this News Release may constitute forward-looking statements. When used in this document, the words "may", "would", "could", "will" and similar expressions, as they relate to Star or its management are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such statements reflect Star's current views with respect to future events and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Many factors could cause Star's actual performance or achievements to vary from those described herein. Should one or more of these factors or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying forward-looking statements prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated or expected.
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