Global Autonomous Distress Data Feeds Into LADR

The International Civil Aviation Organization, ICAO, announced that Autonomous Distress Tracking (ADT) data from aircraft globally is now feeding directly into the global Location of Aircraft in Distress Repository (LADR) through a new technical connection developed by ICAO, EUROCONTROL, and the French Mission Control Center (MCC).

The LADR is a secure web-based platform developed by and hosted by EUROCONTROL and is a core component of ICAO’s Global Aeronautical Distress and Safety System (GADSS).

The system is now capable of accepting last known position data from appropriately equipped aircraft, and enables accredited contributors to submit and access such data. Through this connection, LADR serves as a single point of access globally that notifies relevant stakeholders including aircraft operators, air navigation service providers, and search and rescue teams.

Juan Carlos Salazar, Secretary General of ICAO commented, “We have achieved a significant step forward in strengthening the international community’s ability to track aircraft in distress and respond swiftly and effectively to emergency situations worldwide.”

Raúl Medina, Director General of EUROCONTROL explained, “LADR provides a single point of access for information on aircraft in distress anywhere in the world and will make a real contribution to improving how the global aviation community manages these situations.  It shows how global leadership and regional cooperation can help drive improvements in safety that will benefit aviation around the globe.”

The French MCC plays a vital role in coordinating stress alerts across Europe and beyond as a key component of the international Cospas-Sarsat Program.

Bruno Chazal, France’s representative and Council Chair of Cospas-Sarsat said, “France has always been a very active actor in the international Cospas-Sarsat Programme, in particular in its activities in support of GADSS, and the pioneering role played today by the FMCC is a fine illustration of this involvement.”

The announcement heralds a key step in the wider implementation of ICAO’s GADSS concept that was developed in response to major aviation incidents and has the goal of ensuring aircraft in distress can be located quickly and accurately to facilitate faster rescue operations that save lives.

FMI:  www.icao.int/