Iridium to acquire Aireon

Image courtesy Iridium

The acquisition of Aireon is a defining step in Iridium’s strategy to provide the foundational architecture for global aviation safety, bringing space-based surveillance, safety communications, PNT and operational data together on a single network.

Matt Desch, CEO, Iridium, said: "Aireon has always been part of Iridium’s aviation safety strategy. We founded it in partnership with the world’s leading Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs), because we believed space-based aviation safety was a generational opportunity.

"The aviation industry is now entering an era of growing air traffic, denser airspace, autonomous aircraft and greater expectations for safety and resiliency. Bringing Aireon fully inside Iridium better positions us to build what’s needed to support the future of aviation, including more innovations like the future introduction of space-based VHF communications."

A combined platform for aviation safety
The acquisition unites Aireon’s surveillance and data services, including GPS jamming and spoofing detection, with Iridium’s global satcom network and PNT services that help keep GPS-dependent systems working in contested environments.

This combination creates one company providing four critical aviation industry capabilities: knowing where every aircraft is, communicating with the pilots flying them, providing the navigation and timing integrity those aircraft rely on and translating that information into operational insights that make airspace safer and more efficient. No other satellite operator delivers this combination of capabilities on a global scale.

Today, the Aireon system, which is certified by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), flies as a payload on the Iridium satellite constellation and tracks an average of 190,000 flights per day. Commercial aircraft broadcast information such as an aircraft’s identity, location, altitude, speed and heading. Aireon’s space-based ADS-B payload captures this information in real time, with 100% global coverage. ANSPs covering more than 50% of the global airspace rely on Aireon data to create safer and more efficient airspace.

The world’s leading ANSPs and investors in Aireon, including NAV CANADA and NATS (United Kingdom), AirNav Ireland, ENAV (Italy) and Naviair (Denmark), each played a vital role in launching the Aireon service, proving its reliability and establishing it as a critical part of the global air traffic control infrastructure.

NAV CANADA and NATS, which together manage the most heavily trafficked oceanic airspace in the world – the North Atlantic Tracks between Europe and North America, were the first to go live with the service. In connection with the acquisition, both ANSPs will sign extended data services agreements through 2035 and beyond, with provisions for continued cooperative development of space-based VHF communications and other new capabilities.

Don Thoma, CEO of Aireon, said: "Aireon and Iridium have been partners since day one, and that partnership is the reason we have been able to build the world’s only space-based air traffic surveillance system and a fast-growing aviation data services business alongside it.

"Becoming part of Iridium is a natural next step for our team, our customers and our roadmap, particularly as our data products expand into new areas like turbulence detection and aviation data analytics. Together, we are building the foundation for the future of global aviation."

Mark Cooper, President and CEO, NAV CANADA, said: "NAV CANADA is proud of our foundational role in establishing Aireon’s world-first technology.

"This sale sharpens our focus on our core expertise: keeping Canada’s skies safe. As a fellow founding partner, Iridium is the ideal owner to guide Aireon’s continued commercial growth. We wish the entire team continued success and look forward to our ongoing relationship as a customer."

Martin Rolfe, CEO, NATS, said: "We have been proud to be a part of Aireon’s successes, most notably making real-time aircraft surveillance over the Atlantic a reality for the first time in history, enabling even safer operations across the North Atlantic.

"As a shareholder for the past eight years, it is now the right time for us to divest. We are confident Aireon is well positioned for the future and wish the team every success in the next stage of its development."

Space-based VHF
Space-based VHF communications represent a major opportunity in air traffic management, extending pilot-to-controller VHF services into oceanic and remote airspace where ground infrastructure cannot reach, without the need for additional aircraft equipment. The model is similar to how aircraft already carry ADS-B transceivers, which enables Aireon to deliver space-based ADS-B surveillance without requiring fleet retrofits.

Aireon’s data business
Beyond surveillance for ANSPs, Aireon operates a fast-expanding aviation data services business that sells real-time and historical aviation data to airlines, airports, OEMs, governments and aerospace operators. Product lines already available or launching this year include turbulence detection, GPS jamming and spoofing detection and safety and efficiency analytics. Additional applications are also in development to support the rapidly evolving airspace environment.

Aireon’s data business is one of its highest-growth areas today and is expected to be a meaningful contributor to the combined company’s aviation growth.

Iridium is an existing owner of Aireon and will acquire the remaining 61% of equity interests of Aireon in the transaction for a purchase price of approximately $366.7 million from the other owners, NAV CANADA, AirNav Ireland, ENAV, NATS and Naviair. The purchase price will be paid 50% at closing and 50% on the one-year anniversary. Iridium will also assume Aireon’s outstanding debt, expected to be approximately $155 million at closing.