The Agency for Aerial Navigation Safety in Africa and Madagascar (ASECNA) announced today their continued commitment to the Single African Sky initiative by installing a third Aireon Service Delivery Point (SDP) Dakar, Senegal, operations centre. This tertiary SDP installation allows ASECNA to receive triple-redundant data to all six ASECNA controlled Flight Information Regions (FIRs)- Antananarivo, Brazzaville Dakar Oceanic, Dakar Terrestrial, Niamey and N’Djamena – over three independent telecommunications lines. Each line is also feeding data into the ASECNA AFISNET Very-Small-Aperture Terminal (VSAT) network, making space-based ADS-B highly available in the region.

ASECNA, first initiating the Aireon service operational deployment in January 2020, now has one of the most robust networks for space-based ADS-B data. The AFISNET VSAT network allows every ASECNA centre to receive Aireon data seamlessly integrated into their Thales TopSky automation platform, with minimum latency. Space-based ADS-B is being used throughout their airspace, augmenting ground sensors. With the upcoming African ADS-B mandate, this technology will facilitate a more dynamic, safe, and efficient airspace and allow these multiple FIRs to operate as one harmonious airspace, furthering the Single African Sky initiative’s objectives. The connection to the AFISNET VSAT network will also make it easier for the Member States to access full air traffic surveillance data and coordinate with regions throughout the continent.

According to Mohamed Moussa, ASECNA Director-General, “Single African Sky is the fundamental goal of ASECNA. By deploying Aireon data throughout our region, we maintain the highest level of safety and provide the most robust data to all member states through the AFISNET VSAT network. ASECNA is leading the global aviation community by eliminating the reliance on ground-based surveillance and transitioning it to satellites, in line with a complete satellite CNS strategy that includes a satellite-based augmentation system – SBAS – for Africa. Every region, no matter how remote, now has access to this data.”

Don Thoma, Aireon CEO, said, “Working with ASECNA throughout their deployment has been an honour. DG Moussa and his team have made Single African Sky their largest priority. During the COVID-19 pandemic, they have taken this opportunity to enhance their technology and operations. ASECNA has invested in positioning its airspace as one of the most advanced and efficient in the world, leading the African continent to be the gold standard in air traffic surveillance.”