Spirit Airlines selects Exelis aircraft surveillance solution for fleet tracking

Spirit Airlines has selected the Exelis (NYSE: XLS) aircraft surveillance solution, known as Symphony® OpsVue™, to visually track its aircraft fleet while on the ground. This solution provides a highly accurate and reliable flight tracking network of aircraft surveillance data on a single Web-based display.

Spirit Airlines’ aircraft fleet is currently fully equipped with Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) transponders. ADS-B equipage enables operations personnel to receive aircraft position reports every 5 seconds in the terminal airspace area. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued a final rule to require installation of ADS-B “Out” equipment by 2020.

With Symphony OpsVue, Spirit can monitor its aircraft on the airport surface in the taxiway, ramp or gate at any of its primary and diversion airports with a single application. The solution also enables airlines to manage tarmac delay requirements, which require contingency plans, including passenger provisions and deplaning, for lengthy tarmac delays. Benefits of the Symphony OpsVue solution include improved safety through enhanced situational awareness and operational efficiency of the fleet, as well as a better overall passenger experience through reduced delays.
“The Exelis solution will allow us to effectively manage tarmac delay requirements, improve diversion management and provide critical decision-support information during both routine and irregular operations,” said Jyri Strandman, vice president of flight operations for Spirit Airlines. “Using this information will enable us to better monitor surface movement of our aircraft to meet our mission of providing safe, ultra-low cost and efficient air transportation.”

Symphony OpsVue uses several different surveillance sources to provide a comprehensive network of flight data, including the highly accurate Exelis ADS-B data feed. Exelis, a global leader in providing critical network solutions, is deploying the FAA’s ADS-B surveillance system nationwide. The data feed from that system integrates the FAA’s terminal radar, en route radar, and all surface tracking systems to create a comprehensive critical network of surveillance sources.