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First in the World : Malaysia Airlines to track planes with satellites

First in the World : Malaysia Airlines to track planes with satellites
Malaysia Airlines | wikiwand

Malaysia Airlines has become the first carrier to sign up to a new satellite flight tracking system for its fleet.

It comes three years after its MH370 flight bound for Beijing disappeared with 239 people on board.

Using a soon-to-be-launched satellite network, the airline will be able to monitor its planes in areas where there is currently no surveillance.

They include polar regions and remote areas of oceans not covered by existing systems.

Path change

The airline reached a deal for the service provided by US-based Aireon, FlightAware and SITAONAIR.

The new system can also provide more regular updates on a plane's location, especially when travelling over oceans and other remote areas, said SITAONAIR's portfolio director Paul Gibson.

Sita on Air | Aircraft IT
Sita on Air | Aircraft IT

 

Aircrafts deviating from a flight path could be identified more quickly as a result, he said.

"With access to up-to-the-minute reporting, Malaysia Airlines will know the location, heading, speed and altitude of all aircraft in its fleet, at all times, and be alerted to any exceptions."

But it is unclear if the additional tracking ability would have had any impact on the MH370 disappearance.

All tracking systems monitor a plane's location using its on-board transmitter. When the Kuala Lumpur-Beijing flight vanished in March 2014, the transmitter signal was lost, with some suspicions it was done deliberately.

Customer confidence

Most flights currently transmit their position using signals tracked from both the ground and space.

The new service, available in 2018, will add to that coverage, using the Iridium NEXT satellite constellation which was launched earlier this year.

The fate of MH370 remains one of the world's greatest aviation mystery. More than 120,000 sq km (46,300 miles) of the Indian Ocean has been searched with no sign of the aircraft.

Some pieces of debris have been found on African islands including Madagascar.

The deep-water search for the flight was called off earlier this year.

Malaysian Airlines has been trying to win back customers' confidence, by offering travel discounts and flight promotions.

The carrier's chief operating officer, Izham Ismail, said the firm was "proud" to be the first airline to sign up for the system.

(Source: BBC)

Akhyari Hananto

I began my career in the banking industry in 1997, and stayed approx 6 years in it. This industry boost his knowledge about the economic condition in Indonesia, both macro and micro, and how to More understand it. My banking career continued in Yogyakarta when I joined in a program funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB),as the coordinator for a program aimed to help improve the quality of learning and teaching process in private universities in Yogyakarta. When the earthquake stroke Yogyakarta, I chose to join an international NGO working in the area of ?disaster response and management, which allows me to help rebuild the city, as well as other disaster-stricken area in Indonesia. I went on to become the coordinator for emergency response in the Asia Pacific region. Then I was assigned for 1 year in Cambodia, as a country coordinator mostly to deliver developmental programs (water and sanitation, education, livelihood). In 2009, he continued his career as a protocol and HR officer at the U.S. Consulate General in Surabaya, and two years later I joined the Political and Economic Section until now, where i have to deal with extensive range of people and government officials, as well as private and government institution troughout eastern Indonesia. I am the founder and Editor-in-Chief in Good News From Indonesia (GNFI), a growing and influential social media movement, and was selected as one of The Most Influential Netizen 2011 by The Marketeers magazine. I also wrote a book on "Fundamentals of Disaster Management in 2007"?, "Good News From Indonesia : Beragam Prestasi Anak Bangsa di dunia"? which was luanched in August 2013, and "Indonesia Bersyukur"? which is launched in Sept 2013. In 2014, 3 books were released in which i was one of the writer; "Indonesia Pelangi Dunia"?, "Indonesia The Untold Stories"? and "Growing! Meretas Jalan Kejayaan" I give lectures to students in lectures nationwide, sharing on full range of issues, from economy, to diplomacy Less
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