Orolia, through its McMurdo brand, today announced its Global Aeronautical Distress Safety System (GADSS) compliant Distress Tracking Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT-DT), at the Paris Air Show. The Kannad GADSS ELT-DT will enable the autonomous tracking of commercial aircraft in distress through innovations such as trigger-in-flight capability, allowing the beacon to automatically transmit a distress signal with the aircraft's accurate position.

This next generation ELT will include Return Link Service capability for aircraft operators to activate the ELT from the ground. Working alongside MEOSAR technology, it provides instantaneous signal detection and worldwide coverage, helping rescue teams quickly locate aircraft and save more lives. After the Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 disappearance in 2014, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) launched a series of global tracking initiatives, including the requirement to autonomously track all commercial aircraft in distress beginning January 1, 2021.

As project lead for the European Commission's HELIOS project for next generation emergency locator beacons, Orolia is leveraging the expertise of consortium partners to build innovative, life-saving search and rescue technologies. "Orolia's ELT-DT, under development in the HELIOS H2020 project, is a major enhancement in aircraft safety and highlights GALILEO's benefits providing a level of awareness about aircraft in distress never reached before," said Gian-Gherardo Calini, Head of Market Development at the European GNSS Agency.

"Orolia is proud of this new technology for commercial aircraft," said Jean-Yves Courtois, CEO of Orolia. "The ability to autonomously track aircraft in distress with continuous location data is an industry breakthrough that will deliver long-lasting benefits for the traveling public."