There are countless reasons why an aircraft operator would choose to install Iridium SATCOM to boost their return on investment. Some aircraft operators may be driven by operational needs, regulatory mandates, route structure, or current aircraft communication gaps. Technical benefits of Iridium over HF include 450-650W savings in power consumption, no cooling requirement, higher voice quality and reliability, 20-50 man-hour savings in retrofit time, smaller antenna and equipment which results in more flexible space allocation for installation, and approximately 50kg in weight savings. These weight savings alone could result in $3000 per year in fuel savings on a wide body air transport aircraft.

From a voice communication perspective, not only does Iridium SATVOICE cost 30-50% less than HF, it is global and consistently clear. HF, on the other hand, is often of poor quality or variable due to effects from the sun, weather or geography. Iridium SATCOM can reduce channel congestion, pilot errors, and flight delays.

There are now hundreds of air transport category aircraft using Iridium to fly the North Atlantic tracks via FANS 1/A, CPDLC, and ADS-C. FANS over Iridium achieves reduced separation between aircraft and results in increased traffic flow and lower flight time due to use of better winds, all while maintaining the necessary level of safety and communication. In other Flight Information Regions such as the Polar North, using Iridium to fly FANS/CPDLC from Europe to China has been proven to reduce flight times by as much as 20 minutes.

Let us help you build your ROI with a Latitude SATCOM system and Iridium SATCOM voice and data services. We can play a significant part in optimizing your flight by closing any gaps in your fleet’s voice and data communications.

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