The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) and air navigation service provider Aireon LLC signed a memorandum of agreement to enhance aircraft tracking in the Singapore Flight Information Region (FIR), CAAS said in a press release on Thursday.

Through this collaboration, U.S.-based Aireon will work with CAAS to enhance surveillance coverage over the entire Singapore FIR with the deployment of a space-based ADS-B surveillance service.

CAAS said that some parts of the Singapore FIR, such as remote areas and oceans, are currently not under surveillance coverage. With the deployment of the new service, the real-time positions and en-route status information of all ADS-B equipped aircraft can be tracked when they are flying within the Singapore FIR.

"We are constantly looking for new and innovative solutions to enable us to provide better air traffic services in the Singapore FIR," said Yap Ong Heng, director-general of CAAS.

"This new space-based ADS-B capability represents the next level of surveillance capability and will complement our existing ground-based air traffic surveillance systems. This technology together with the right operational procedures can potentially enhance flight efficiencies and help reduce fuel costs for airlines." Endi