Aerospace Space

CGI VirtualFlightRecorder to enhance aviation safety

Posted 15 April 2025

CGI today announced an expansion of the Universal Virtual Flight Data Recorder (UVFDR) initiative, developed with support from the European Space Agency (ESA) and the UK Space Agency (UKSA) under the Business Applications and Space Solutions (BASS) programme.

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The new phase will establish CGI VirtualFlightRecorder, a new CGI intellectual property solution providing a scalable solution built on AWS for enhancing aviation safety globally, opening up new ways of improving operational efficiency, and providing compliance with emerging global aeronautics distress and safety (GADSS) standards.

Building on the success of the initial UVFDR project, this phase will translate insights from the first pilot demonstration into operational capabilities, ensuring CGI VirtualFlightRecorder meets the latest global aeronautical safety standards, including alignment with International Civil Aviation Organization's (ICAO) standards and recommended practices (SARPs) for GADSS.

The UVFDR leverages CGI's blockchain technology to ensure data authenticity, integrity and security, addressing the operational and regulatory challenges of future flight data recording systems.

Key enhancements that will support aviation safety include:

Improved data resilience in emergencies: by demonstrating satellite data transmission for flights in emergency scenarios, exploring solutions for completeness of flight telemetry and data integrity through flights with Cranfield University's Flying Laboratory.
Global standards compliance: the system will provide a route to an acceptable means of compliance for GADSS informed by EASA, FAA, and EUROCAE recommendations.
Seamless operational integration: advanced interfaces and features will support real-time data transmission and monitoring, which can be integrated with existing aviation systems through commonly available aircraft interface devices (AID) or similar systems.
Data integrity and legal admissibility: demonstrating compliance with standards for using flight data in regulatory and legal investigations.

CGI VirtualFlightRecorder is designed with commercial air transport, business and general aviation, as well as advanced air mobility in mind. Replicating the function of a traditional crash-protected flight recorder (Black Box) in a virtual, cloud-based environment, the system will allow the assured, authenticated and provenance-controlled storage of data transmitted by an aircraft while in flight. It will empower aviation stakeholders -- aircraft operators, manufacturers, and regulators -- with a cost-effective, reliable tool to enhance operational efficiency, comply with international safety mandates, and provide key insights in case of an incident.

Neil Timms, Senior Vice President, Space, Defence and Intelligence at CGI in the UK and Australia, said: "This ongoing project underscores CGI's role in advancing aviation safety through transformative technology. By evolving the UVFDR into a commercial service, CGI VirtualFlightRecorder will help aircraft operators boost their operational efficiency while supporting safer skies, meeting the industry's evolving operations, safety and regulatory needs."

This extension is supported by the UK Space Agency as part of ESA's BASS programme, with additional contributions from the Safety and Accident Investigation Centre and National Flying Laboratory Centre at Cranfield University, Code Magus Limited, Satellite Authorisation Systems (Pty) Ltd. (SatAuth) and AWS.