Tracking task force report falls short of expectations

December 16th 2014

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The Aircraft Tracking Task Force (ATTF) founded by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) in the aftermath of the unsolved disappearance of Malaysia Airlines (MAS) flight MH370 has submitted its report to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Read More » It will be considered in ICAO’s development of a Global Aeronautical Distress and Safety System, or GADSS.

The report “recommends that airlines evaluate their current tracking capabilities against the performance criteria and close any gaps within a 12-month time frame,” IATA chief Tony Tyler explained. “Airlines are taking the tracking issue very seriously. Some already exceed the report’s suggested performance criteria. For others, closing the gap may take more than a 12-month time line for every aircraft.”

The IATA approach has several phases:

• In the short term, make use of what is already available in their fleets and areas of operation
• In the near term, look at the business case for upgrading equipment to meet the performance criteria
•  In the medium term, monitor new technologies which will become available, including space-based systems.
•  In parallel, work with manufacturers and other industry stakeholders to explore the possibility of making systems tamper proof

As reported by This Week in Asia-Pacific Aviation, Emirates Airline chief Tim Clark last month made the headlines as he repeated his contrary views about nearly all aspects of the ongoing investigation into MH370 which is now in its ninth month. Among other things, Clark said his electronic engineers believe that although the plane's Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System ( ACARS) was disabled,  it would still send out weak signals and remain traceable. He also questioned the role of the Malaysian military and said the claim they identified MH370 as friendly when it suddenly reversed course and consequently took no further action was "bizarre" and needed to be "looked at very carefully". As such, Emirates’ Clark is a natural advocate for tamper-proof transponders.

Meanwhile, MAS has appointed current Aer Lingus CEO, Christoph Mueller, as chief executive-designate. If approved, Mueller could start in April 2015.