14 May 2026 year Iridium Communications reported, that concluded an agreement to purchase the rest 61% tracking company Aireon, which is already operating on its constellation of communications satellites, to go even deeper into the field of aviation security, surveillance and data services. The satellite operator bought the rest of the company for approx 367 million dollars from five air navigation service providers (ANSP): NAV CANADA, NATS (England), Naviair (Denmark), AirNav Ireland and Italian ENAV.
For reference: Iridium Communications Inc. is an American company and satellite communications operator, which provides 100% covering the globe, including the poles, oceans and airspace. The company owns and operates the world's largest commercial group of low-orbit satellites (66 working devices).
Aireon provides tracking services using Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast signals (ADS-B), which broadcast planes, with 2019 year — when the last of 66 operational satellites of Iridium Next. Supported by GPS and other global navigation satellite systems, these signals provide air traffic controllers with more accurate information about flights and may play an increasingly important role in AI-based aviation safety and efficiency tools. Aireon CEO Don Thomas said, that the company can track 13 000 planes
at any given time. This is approximately 190 000 flights per day (from takeoff to landing). NAV CANADA and NATS plan to extend data agreements to 2035 year as part of the agreement, while Naviair separately announced the signing of a new contract with Aireon for surveillance data for Greenland airspace.
Agreements with NAV CANADA and NATS include provisions for continued cooperation on VHF space communications service (a method of data exchange between ground stations and satellites, which uses radio waves in the meter range) to expand voice and data communication (communication over a data line) between pilots and controllers in oceanic and remote airspace using radio equipment installed on aircraft.
Iridium CEO Matt Dash said, that the company does not need to replace the current network until at least 2035 year, however, they are already exploring additional missions, which may be launched earlier, to add features, such as space VHF, improved ADS-B and more stable positioning services, navigation and time synchronization (PNT).
IN 2024 In 2016, Iridium acquired Satelles, a backup GPS provider, which uses the L-band of the operator's satellites. Additional equipment can make Iridium's PNT service more accurate than GPS and better protected against jamming and tampering. The purchase of Aireon will give Iridium full control over flight tracking services, as well as jamming detection and GPS replacement systems.
Source: https://spacenews.com