Historically, ground radar has acquired an aircraft’s position in five to 12 seconds. Today, ADS-B enables an aircraft to determine—and broadcast—its position almost every second via satellite navigation. Armed with this cutting-edge surveillance technology, pilots have an improved view of traffic information, weather radar, and flight information. This translates into improved safety and efficiencies, especially in highly congested areas, such as New York, Chicago, and Southern California. 

Beyond tangible safety concerns, there are privacy matters and business implications at stake. In the past year, we’ve noted organizations attentively monitoring company flight patterns to make business forecasts. One example is the prediction that Amazon was moving to Richmond, Virginia—six months before the announcement was made by the e-commerce giant. Another example is when a corporate jet-tracking service recently followed the business jet activity into Omaha, Nebraska, and reported on Berkshire Hathaway’s potential involvement in a major energy deal. You can read the CNBC report here. 

Unfortunately, while associations like the National Business Aviation Association and the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association are advocating for an effective solution, nothing appears to be happening to improve matters in the near future.