Airlines test Rockwell Collins tracking system to help keep tabs on planes in flight

Nine airlines worldwide are working with Rockwell Collins in Cedar Rapids to test a new aircraft tracking system.

The ARINC MultiLink flight tracking service, which Rockwell Collins unveiled in March, uses multiple data sources to reliably report the location of an aircraft anywhere in the world. In addition to using Rockwell Collins' proprietary high-frequency data link performance data, the service merges other data sources, including many already generated by the airlines.

The service is designed to support flexible position reporting frequency enabling it to meet industry recommendations. Airlines also can receive notifications when an aircraft has unexpectedly stopped reporting its position or when the aircraft has deviated from its expected flight path.

The disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 in March 2014 on a flight from Kuala Lumpur has placed a renewed emphasis on development of aircraft tracking systems. The International Civil Aviation Organization in February recommended that aircraft report their position every 15 minutes during normal operations, and every minute under an abnormal situation that may lead to an emergency.

Rockwell Collins did not disclose the names of the airlines testing the ARINC system, which are based in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, North America and Latin America and operate regionally and globally.

'The airlines participating in this program fly a considerable number of oceanic and polar routes, which will allow them to use ARINC MultiLink to track aircraft in some of the most remote regions in the world,” said Yun Chong, vice president, commercial aviation services for Rockwell Collins' Information Management Services business, in a news release.

ARINC MultiLink service is expected to be available to customers in the fall after trials are completed.