United Airlines, FAA Partner On ADS-B Trial

United Airlines will install equipment for Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) on 12 Boeing 747s under an agreement with FAA.

Speaking Wednesday at the 9th ICNS Conference in Arlington, Va., Capt. Joe Burns, United’s director of standards and technology, said the project provides “a real opportunity” for the airline to carry out in-trail procedures over the Pacific using ADS-B.

“It gives me now a platform to go back to the CFO and the COO and say, hey look, the system is up, it’s working and it really does provide benefits,” Burns said. “That’s probably the key to getting the airline involvement and participation moved up. We really have to focus on what we can do with the benefits. It’s really important that we be able to make the business case, particularly right now in the constrained capital environment that we’re in.”

Burns said United also will evaluate other technologies, such as a Class 3 electronic flight bag, as part of the project.