Transport security

Satellite Surveillance To Track Commercial Airplanes

Currently, commercial airliners, civilian pilots and air-traffic controllers rely on a hodgepodge of measures for tracking varying arrays of data on airplanes’ flights. Ranging from sophisticated services capable of monitoring a plane’s fuel use, flight controls, landing gear and more, through systems that merely record and transmit altitude and navigation coordinates, to planes with no tracking system to speak of – the irregularity of available options makes for a very dangerous airspace.

The problem is further exacerbated by the fact that the current standard is radar-based. The movement of planes is monitored mostly through land-based stations, leaving around 70 per cent of the Earth’s surface uncovered. When disaster strikes, as it did with flight MH370, search and rescue teams are unable to operate effectively.