Brussels, 30/10/2015 (Agence Europe) - Following an oral question by Michael Cramer MEP (Greens/EFA, Germany) on 1 October, a resolution was adopted at the European Parliament's plenary session on Thursday 29 October, in which MEPs call on the European Commission to take the required steps regarding the allocation of the necessary radio spectrum band to support the future development of a satellite-based global flight tracking system.
“There have been tragedies that have brought out weaknesses in the current tracking system. Flight tracking systems today cover only around 30% of the global airspace”, Cramer told European Commissioner for Transport Violeta Bulc on Thursday 29 October, before adding that Satellite ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance - Broadcast) is one of the technologies which would allow better safety. Cramer therefore called on the Commission to take steps to allocate the necessary spectrum band for satellite-based technology, and to do this ahead of the World Radiocommunication Conference in Geneva on 2-27 November.
Attending the Parliament's plenary session in Strasbourg, Bulc went in Cramer's direction and said she supported the plan for deploying Satellite ADS-B at the Geneva conference. She said she wanted the system to cover all flights at world level, and that she also wanted aid for the future Galileo Search and Rescue programme. When contacted by EUROPE, Cramer said he was pleased about this.
Following Cramer's oral question, an eight-point resolution was adopted by a show of hands the same day, which says that satellite-based tracking systems should not be affected by the loss of normal electrical power on board aircraft, and that it should not be possible to disable them during the flight. Furthemore, MEPs call for the needs of all users to be taken into account and for interoperability between different technologies to be ensured, so as to avoid all failure.
Last July, a document on aircraft tracking was adopted in comitology. As the European Parliament and Council did not respond within the allotted three months in order to object to the legal basis, the Commission is due to present measures by the end of the year - separately from the aviation package, which is due to be presented in early December, a source close to the issue told EUROPE.
The issue of aircraft tracking was particularly highlighted in the tragedy of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 which came down off the Australian coast in the Indian Ocean. The flight completely disappeared from the radar system following the cut of the transponder. (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)