Air Traffic Modernization Through Iris Programme Advances as Inmarsat and Esa Select Txt to Drive Adoption

GCC Passengers to Benefit From New Global Air Traffic Management System

Global digital enabler TXT Group (TXT) has been selected as the latest partner for Inmarsat and the European Space Agency (ESA)’s revolutionary Iris programme, which utilizes the latest generation of satellite technology to modernize air traffic management (ATM). 

Electronic flight bag application will lead to reduced fuel consumption, flight times, and environmental footprint for Iris airline customers.

Powered by Inmarsat’s award-winning SwiftBroadband-Safety (SB-S) connectivity platform, Iris enables real-time collaboration between pilots, air traffic controllers and airline operation centres by using cost-effective, secure and highly resilient datalink communications. This relieves pressure on congested Very High Frequency (VHF) links, leading to the vast benefits provided by Trajectory Based Operations (TBO) such as reduced flight delays and costs for airlines. This also lowers unnecessary CO₂emissions to support the aviation industry’s journey towards decarbonisation and less congested skies. 

Further to this, TXT’s Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) application, Pacelab Flight Profile Optimiser (FPO), will support Iris by providing the programme’s airline customers with recommendations on the most cost-efficient way to operate flights, using vertical and lateral route optimisation to balance operational considerations with passenger comfort and on-time performance. The application, which has already been deployed by more than 1,500 aircraft worldwide, will also be developed further to include additional real-time weather data, helping to boost situational awareness, collaborative decision making and flight optimisation. 

Joel Klooster, Inmarsat Aviation’s Senior Vice President of Aircraft Operations and Safety, said “We are delighted to welcome TXT as our latest partner for Iris. Having such a key industry player onboard is a further vote of confidence for this transformative programme. TXT’s longstanding expertise and experience will help to bring Iris another step closer to unlocking modernised air traffic management.” 

Iris supports the Single European Sky ATM Research (SESAR) programme and will begin flying onboard commercial flights with easyJet in early 2023, making it the first communication service benefiting from a Pan-European certification from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), secured through the programme’s partner European Satellite Services Provider (ESSP). 

This will be followed by Iris Global, which extends the programme’s benefits far beyond Europe, leading to significantly larger CO₂output reductions and improved airspace capacity across the world, including other highly congested regions. Iris Global will also empower the Advanced Air Mobility industry to realise its vision of using carbon neutral, shorter range uncrewed vehicles for the transport of people and cargo, supported by modernised ATM capabilities for pilotless Beyond Visual Line Of Sight (BVLOS) operations. 

Joelle Klooster added, “Earlier this year, we launched Iris Global, which will bring the key benefits of the Iris program to regions beyond Europe. The GCC is one of the fastest-growing aviation markets in the world, and it is committed to innovation alongside effectively tackling air traffic congestion. We believe it will be a strong candidate to benefit from key Iris advantages, such as minimizing flight delays, saving fuel, and reducing the environmental impact of air travel. 

Airlines based in the GCC can utilize the latest technology and expertise from Inmarsat and our ecosystem of Iris partners to modernize their air traffic management approach. Most recently, TXT joined the program and will use its electronic flight bag application to provide our customers with the most cost-efficient way to operate flights, using vertical and lateral route optimization to balance operational considerations with passenger comfort and on-time performance. Connected Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) applications are supported by Inmarsat SB-S and our Iris solution, providing airlines with a cost-efficient way to operate flights through increased fuel efficiency and on-time performance.

We’re also working on integrating passenger-carrying Advanced Air Mobility vehicles into our airspace through our Velaris connectivity solution. It is expected that 40 times more commercial UAVs will be flying beyond visual line-of-sight by 2030 than commercial aircraft.”

Daniele Misani, CEO of TXT, says “We are proud to join Iris and look forward to working with Inmarsat, the European Space Agency and others aviation stakeholders involved in the programme. Providing digital platforms to enhance complex processes is our mission. We have developed our Pacelab FPO solution to improve the efficiency and environmental sustainability of commercial aviation operations, and Iris provides the most complete and integrated platform to achieve this result.”

About Inmarsat

Inmarsat delivers world leading, innovative, advanced and exceptionally reliable global, mobile communications across the world – in the air, at sea and on land – that are enabling a new generation of commercial, government and mission-critical services. Inmarsat is powering the digitalisation of the maritime industry, making operations more efficient and safer than ever before. It is driving a new era of inflight passenger services for aviation, while ensuring that aircraft can fly with maximum efficiency and safety. Furthermore, Inmarsat is enabling the rapid expansion of the Internet of Things (IoT) and enabling the next wave of world-changing technologies that will underpin the connected society and help build a sustainable future. And now Inmarsat is developing the first-of-its-kind, multi-dimensional communications network of the future, ORCHESTRA. 

In November 2021, Inmarsat and Viasat announced the planned combination of the two companies, to create a new leader in global communications. 

About TXT

TXT is an international IT Group, end-to-end provider of consultancy, software services and solutions, supporting the digital transformation of customers’ products and core processes. With a proprietary software portfolio and deep expertise in vertical domains, TXT operates across different markets, with a growing footprint in Aerospace, Aviation, Defence, Industrial, Governmentand Fintech. TXT is headquartered in Milan and has subsidiaries in Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Switzerland, and the United States of America.  

The holding company TXT e-solutions S.p.A, has been listed on the Italian Stock Exchange, STAR segment (TXT.MI), since July 2000. 

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