[Satellite TODAY 7-8-13] The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and NAV CANADA have partnered on a range of technical and operational issues in support of the development and deployment of space-based Automatic Dependent Surveillance – Broadcast (ADS-B), according to a written statement from NAV CANADA. Under the partnership, satellite technology will provide the means to enhance aviation safety, help reduce fuel costs and reduce pollution.
 

     “Working in collaboration with NAV CANADA to jointly develop the standards, technical requirements, policies and procedures related to space-based ADS-B will help to ensure that any system that is developed by NAV CANADA and its partners meets U.S. safety requirements,” said FAA spokeswoman Laura Brown in an interview with SatelliteTODAY.com.

     U.S. carriers equipped with ADS-B avionics may be able to realize flight efficiencies in oceanic and remote domestic airspace, Brown added. And count pollution reduction on the list of efficiencies, according to Michelle Bishop director of NAV CANADA’s government and public affairs. “We believe space based ADS-B will improve safety, increase flight efficiency and, as a result, reduce greenhouse gas emissions from aviation,” she said.
 

    Bishop also noted that while there is no revenue associated with this declaration of intent, both the FAA and NAV CANADA see “significant potential in space-based ADS-B to improve the service that we provide to our mutual customers.” 

     According to NAV CANADA, they will work closely with the FAA to develop policies, standards and operational procedures. “Among other things, this will include required navigation and communication performance standards, hazard and safety analysis, and international standards and recommended practices,” a written statement from NAV CANADA said.
 

    For the company, the partnership with the FAA is nothing out of the ordinary since, according to Bishop, they regularly collaborate with air navigation service providers in other countries, “particularly when we share air traffic control borders, as we do with the United States,” she said.
 

    The partnership developed as a result of multiple discussions of how collaborative efforts would advance the development of satellite technology, according to FAA officials. “The FAA is currently assessing the feasibility of using space-based ADS-B surveillance to improve air traffic management services in FAA oceanic and remote airspace,” Brown said.
 

    NAV CANADA is executing a plan to incorporate space-based ADS-B into the company’s oceanic and remote airspace air traffic control systems and operational procedures. Additionally, the company has partnered with Iridium to invest in Aireon and deploy a global space-based ADS-B surveillance system.  
 

    Brown noted in the wake of the U.S. budget constraints, “we have not yet reached a final decision of whether or not to financially commit to the space-based ADS-B initiative.”
 

    Acknowledging the uncertainty within the U.S. government‘s budget woes, Chris Quilty, senior vice president with Raymond James said that while Raymond James "does not expect such an agreement until later next year, at the earliest, we would not be surprised to see the FAA engage in other confidence-building measures, as we believe the FAA is a strong supporter of the Aireon concept.”

    Quilty said in a recently issued report that Iridium’s satellite-based aircraft tracking venture, Aireon, “picked up two positive endorsements over the past week that should elevate investor confidence in the effort’s technical and financial potential.” The endorsements Quilty refers to are the NAV CANADA/FAA deal and a separate Aireon partnership.
 

    While referencing the FAA and NAV CANADA arrangement, he further noted that “while the announcement did not specifically call out Aireon by name, we believe that the FAA was publicly signaling its intent to incorporate Aireon’s services into its future roadmap.”
 

    Quilty also mentioned NAV CANADA’s recent investment of an additional $40 million into Aireon, which raises its ownership stake to nearly 19 percent. “While this investment was not a total surprise, it does indirectly suggest that Aireon is continuing to achieve necessary operational, technical, commercial, regulatory and/or financial milestones,” he said.
 

    According to Quilty’s report, NAV CANADA continues to engage in discussions with airlines and other air navigation service providers, as it promotes the economic and environmental savings, which may be realized through ADS-B technology. Preliminary estimates suggest that the new technology will translate to annual customer fuel savings for the North Atlantic region of more than $125 million, along with reduced greenhouse gas emissions of 328,000 metric tons of CO2 equivalents annually.