INMARSAT
9.3.2023 08:01:34 CET | Business Wire | Press release
Digitally-connected flights to and from Italy will be available from this summer, as ITA Airways rolls out the European Space Agency (ESA) and Inmarsat’s ground-breaking Iris data link technology to the cockpits of its full aircraft fleet, contributing to airspace modernisation in Europe.
ITA Airways will be the first full service carrier in Europe to join Iris. The programme enables aircraft to fly more fuel-efficient routes by providing digital satellite communications to complement VHF data link, which is nearing a capacity crunch in congested airspace. Without fast and reliable data links between aircraft and the ground, air traffic managers cannot unlock the 8-10% reduction in CO2 emissions identified by EUROCONTROL from improved Air Traffic Management (ATM). Iris will allow ATM players to better anticipate and collaborate to maximise airspace use, reducing the impact of disruptions for passengers while reducing emissions.
The Italian national carrier will equip its full fleet of new Airbus A320neo and A330neo aircraft deliveries with Inmarsat’s SwiftBroadband-Safety (SB-S), the award-winning platform flying on more than 230 aircraft globally, which powers Iris. Its aircraft will also play a significant role in Iris demonstration flights, which will take place across European airspace supported by 14 Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs) during 2023.
This news comes as five more airlines have now equipped aircraft with Inmarsat SB-S, after Airbus’ Light Cockpit Satcom (LCS) terminal became available to order in December 2022. Current SB-S users include Virgin Atlantic, Jet2, and Transavia Airlines, in addition to ITA Airways and easyJet.
Across the seven European airlines, 72 aircraft deliveries with Airbus LCS installed are anticipated during 2023-2024. Iris-capable Inmarsat terminals across many more of Europe’s commercial airlines will further support the Single European Sky ATM Research (SESAR) masterplan.
Alessio Leone, Head of Camo Operations, at ITA Airways said “ITA Airways was born to guarantee Italy quality connectivity with a strong focus on the environmental impact through an important investment made in a homogeneous and technologically advanced fleet, which in 2026 will be made up of 80% of new generation aircrafts becoming the greenest fleet in Europe. We are proud to join the Iris programme, which is fully in line with our growth strategy as it reflects two of the core pillars of ITA Airways: sustainability and innovation. ITA Airways is the first full service carrier in Europe with a new fleet fully equipped with this cutting-edge technology by Inmarsat Aviation, delivering operational and environmental benefits.”
Joel Klooster, Inmarsat Aviation’s Senior Vice President of Aircraft Operations and Safety, said “We are delighted to welcome ITA Airways as the second airline to join Iris, coming only months after easyJet was announced as the first airline. This shows the impressive momentum that continues to build around the programme as it heads towards commercial service introduction in Europe this year, followed by a full global rollout. Iris will mark a transformational step-change in air traffic management, delivering operational and environment benefits for airlines and the aviation industry as a whole, while also enhancing the flight experience for passengers.”
Javier Benedicto, Acting Director of Telecommunications and Integrated Applications at ESA, said: “We are proud to support the space-enabled digitalisation of Europe’s skies, which will help to make aviation greener. ESA developed the Iris system in partnership with Inmarsat and we welcome ITA Airways as the first full service carrier and the second airline to sign up to use it. Investing in space improves life on Earth.”
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS:
ITA follows easyJet, which became the first airline to join the programme last June.
ABOUT ITA AIRWAYS
ITA Airways is a company totally owned by the Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance for the exercise of business in the air transport sector. ITA Airways aims at creating an efficient and innovative air carrier that will become a reference point in providing Italy with quality connectivity both in terms of international destinations, thus boosting tourism and foreign trade, and within the Country, also taking advantage of the train-air integrated mobility. ITA Airways will place the best customer service at the center of its strategy (through a strong digitization of processes that ensure a best-in-class experience and personalized services), combined with sustainability, in its environmental (new green and technologically advanced aircraft, use of sustainable fuels), social (equality and inclusion for a gender-neutral company) and governance (integration of sustainability into internal strategies and processes) aspects. ITA Airways is a member of SkyTeam alliance as of October 2021.
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.
For further information, follow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook | YouTube | Instagram.
ABOUT IRIS
Iris benefits airlines and ANSPs by bringing the bandwidth and reliability to allow digital exchanges between the aircraft and ground systems. System-to-system digital communication enables flights to be managed more efficiently through trajectory-based operations. These 4 Dimensional Trajectory-Based Operations (4D TBO) improve the management of airspace capacity, unlocking operational efficiency for airlines by avoiding holding patterns, accessing improved routes and optimum altitudes, and using continuous climb and descent pathways. The additional datalink capacity provided by SB-S will also power a host of onboard digital applications, such as AI flight profile optimisers and real-time weather applications.
European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) certification of ESSP as the Communication Service Provider for the Iris data link service is nearing completion, and will mark the first air navigation service provider to own a pan-European certificate that allows cross-border delivery of air traffic management services.
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230308005515/en/
About Business Wire
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
Go Beyond the Guidebook: Why Ireland Rewards Those Who Slow Down6.5.2026 18:15:00 CEST | Press release
In a world where travel often feels rushed and driven by checklists, Ireland stands apart. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260501313521/en/ Lusty Beg Island Kesh, Co. Fermanagh The destination offers something deeper, drawing visitors beyond the expected toward richer encounters with its landscapes, culture and communities. As a compact island, Ireland gives holiday makers the chance to take in much of the destination while still travelling at a relaxed, unhurried pace. It’s a chance to slow down, not to do less, but to feel more - more calm, more connection, and more of what makes travel meaningful. This approach to travel is matched by Ireland’s natural warmth and welcome, helping visitors feel at home from the moment they arrive. Take the scenic route From the rugged coastline of the Wild Atlantic Way, one of the world’s longest coastal routes, to the rolling landscapes of Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands, Irela
TACTICA AI Introduces Region’s First AI Platform for Mission-Critical, Real-Time Operational Decisions6.5.2026 17:18:00 CEST | Press release
Built on deep tech developed by TII, TACTICA AI moves beyond dashboards to help decision-makers turn fragmented intelligence, sensor, and operational data into action Showcased during Make it in the Emirates 2026, the platform has already been validated through real-world deployments in mission-critical environments Built in Abu Dhabi, connected globally, TACTICA AI integrates partnerships with French-based Safran and Polish-based Satim TACTICA AI, an Abu Dhabi-based start-up, today introduced its multi-domain decision-support platform to a wider market during Make it in the Emirates 2026. At a time of increasing operational complexity and pressure to make faster, better-informed decisions, the platform is designed to transform fragmented intelligence, sensor, and operational data into real-time decisions. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260506006177/en/ TACTICA AI Introduces Region’s First AI Platform for Mis
FlightSafety International Receives FAA Approval for Virtual Aircraft Preflight Inspection with Evaluation Mode6.5.2026 16:05:00 CEST | Press release
Three aircraft programs approved, with three more expected to receive approval in 2026 FlightSafety International Inc., the global leader in aviation training and simulation technology, today announced it has received Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approval for Virtual Aircraft Preflight Inspection (VAPI) with Evaluation Mode for three aircraft training programs: the Embraer EMB-550, Gulfstream G500/G600, and Citation Latitude. This innovative capability allows pilots in initial training to complete a 3D virtual aircraft preflight inspection while in Training Mode, with the added ability to transition directly into the flight deck, followed by Evaluation Mode, that allows pilots to do their preflight check ride portion. “VAPI represents a meaningful advancement in training innovation,” said David Penney, VP of Safety, Courseware and Regulatory Affairs, FlightSafety International. “By leveraging an immersive 3D environment, it offers pilots a more engaging and practical way to de
Riskified Unveils Next-Generation AI Suite at Ascend 2026, Empowering Merchants with Unprecedented Visibility and Control Over Ecommerce Risk6.5.2026 15:00:00 CEST | Press release
New capabilities include Riskified ARIA the AI Risk Analyst, Identity Explore 2.0, and an enhanced Decision Studio, giving merchants the power to see, understand, and act on network risk intelligence like never before Riskified (NYSE: RSKD), a global leader in ecommerce fraud and risk intelligence, today announced a major leap forward in its AI platform capabilities, introducing a powerful suite of control and empowerment tools designed to give merchant fraud teams complete visibility into risk patterns and identity behavior, conversational AI-driven insights, and the ability to surgically tailor their risk strategies. The innovation suite was announced onstage at Ascend 2026, Riskified’s premier global summit series, taking place May 4-6, 2026, at the Conrad New York Downtown in Manhattan, NY. With global ecommerce continuing to expand and losses from AI-driven fraud attacks projected to spike, particularly with the rise of agentic commerce, where AI bots may conduct transactions on b
Twilio’s Next Generation Platform: An Infrastructure Layer for Every Conversation in the Agentic Era6.5.2026 15:00:00 CEST | Press release
New platform capabilities orchestrate context-rich conversations with persistent memory across multiple channels for humans and AI agentsConversation Memory, Conversation Orchestrator, Conversation Intelligence, and Agent Connect provide the nervous system for modern customer engagement Twilio (NYSE: TWLO), the infrastructure for customer engagement in the AI era, kicked off its user conference, SIGNAL, by unveiling its next generation platform capabilities for the agentic era. Generally available today, Conversation Memory, Conversation Orchestrator, Conversation Intelligence, and Agent Connect combine to turn disparate interactions into continuous, intelligent, and personal conversations across humans, agents, and systems. “The agentic era is here. Agents are joining conversations alongside the people they represent, and modern customer engagement requires an infrastructure that serves both equally,” said Khozema Shipchandler, Chief Executive Officer at Twilio. “Twilio’s new platform
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom