Malaysia Airlines to Track Fleet Partially Via ADS-B Satellite System

Malaysia Airlines is the inaugural customer of a flight tracking system involving connected aircraft services firm SITAOnAir, flight tracking company FlightAware and Aireon, which is deploying a satellite-based Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast system. According to a media release Tuesday, the system adds Aireon's ADS-B data to FlightAware's information from multiple global sources. It said the Aireon system is expected to be operational in 2018 with the completion of Iridium's Next satellite constellation.