[Peetwo]

Quote from Shine Lawyers Aviation blog 27 Feb 2015:

Inmarsat airliner global tracking concept trial


February 27, 2015 by Joseph Wheeler

Earlier this month ICAO agreed on the adoption of a new 15 minute tracking standard for commercial aircraft, and this is expected to be the subject of new standards and recommended practices later in 2015.  The resolution was a reaction to the global demand for the prevention of aircraft disappearances like MH370.

Inmarsat, the company whose data and calculations have significantly informed the present search for flight MH370, is partnering with Airservices Australia and other Australian aviation stakeholders to develop a trial of global flight tracking using Automatic Dependent Surveillance – Contract (ADS-C) satellite technology in Australia’s oceanic regions.

ADS-C provides air traffic controllers with a continually updated surveillance picture of their airspace, which allows safe and efficient oceanic air operations.

About 11,000 commercial aircraft are already equipped with an Inmarsat satellite connection, representing over 90% of the world’s long haul commercial fleet.

Airlines which will participate in the trial include Qantas and Virgin Australia.
 
Written by Joseph Wheeler

Well apparently the miniscule was roused from his normal Sundy slumber to make a formal announcement of Airservices involvement in the ICAO trial - the following article is courtesy of Aunty (the other Aunty):

MH370: Warren Truss announces trial to improve aircraft tracking nearly a year after flight disappeared

Posted 44 minutes ago Sun 1 Mar 2015, 3:25pm

Photo: The measures were announced in response to the disappearance of flight MH370 nearly a year ago. (AFP: Mohd Rasfan)

Australia will take part in a joint trial to improve aircraft tracking in response to the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 nearly a year ago, Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss has announced.

Under the new system, planes flying over remote oceanic areas would be tracked every 15 minutes, rather than at intervals of 30 to 40 minutes.

Mr Truss said the tragedy put the spotlight on aircraft monitoring.

"This new approach enables immediate improvements to monitoring long haul flights and will give the public greater confidence in aviation, without requiring any additional technology investment by airlines," he said.

"This initiative adapts existing technology used by more than 90 per cent of long haul passenger aircraft and would see air traffic control respond more rapidly should an aircraft experience difficulty or an unexpected deviation from its flight plan.

"I especially welcome the involvement of both Indonesia and Malaysian Air Traffic Control providers to make this a truly regional initiative."
Airservices Australia chairman Sir Angus Houston said the new measures would allow authorities to track planes more accurately and respond more quickly to any abnormal events.

"It's also important to recognise that this is not a silver bullet, but it is an important step in delivering immediate improvements to the way we currently track aircraft while more comprehensive solutions are developed," he said.

"Major airlines are also supporting this important safety initiative and have recognised the value in working collaboratively as part of a regional approach that will, ultimately, contribute to global action."

The trial will see long haul flights in the airspace managed by Airservices, which covers 11 per cent of the world's surface, tracked by satellite-based positioning technology.

Both the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) have announced their endorsement of moves toward increased surveillance of aircraft in remote airspace in the future.

The Malaysian government in January declared the disappearance was officially classified as an accident, and all 293 passengers, including six Australians, were believed to have died.

Australia has led the nearly year-long hunt for the missing plane.

The current search phase is focused on the sea floor about 1,600 kilometres west of Perth.

 
However in a more critical appraisal of the miniscule's announcement,  Ben Sandilands from Planetalking does not spare many words in his scathing attack on the miniscule and his minders (err..spin doctors.. ) -  Absurd MH370 related tracking statement made by Minister Truss :

The statement blithely ignores the fact that Australia has been using ADS-C since 1999.  Let’s put this down to the Minister relying on others to serve up this rubbish, rather than any deliberate effort to mislead.


The history and purpose of ADS-C is set out with brevity and clarity at this link.


What Mr Truss’s carers appear to have him saying is that following MH370, and in response to sluggish deliberations that have occurred among industry bodies since then, Australia is actually going to be part of a trial of doing something it could have been doing more widely and consistently with ADS-C for the last 16 years.

MTF...