Project to test Emergency Locator Transmitter launched

Abu Dhabi: The National Search and Rescue Centre, the General Civil Aviation Authority and Bayanat, a leading provider of AI powered geospatial solutions, announced the launch of the emergency locator transmiter (ELT) project, a pioneering smart technology initiative to support the vision of the United Arab Emirates to be a leading player in the field of aviation safety and artificial intelligence.

In the past, the ELT device was removed from the aircrat and transferred to a maintenance workshop to carry out the testing process in a closed environment. Utilising special testing devices, the electrical circuit in the ELT is tested and reports are sent to the concerned authorities manually. The total testing process takes anywhere from 1 to 3 days, and the aircrat cannot fly until the test is completed.

The new process, which is the first of its kind in the field of global aviation safety, is carried out at the press of a single buton, and the total time is shortened to less than 5 minutes. The ELT device is never removed from its operational state, and thus it is not required to halt flight operations. The testing process starts from the ELT device to the transmiter antenna in the aircrat, on to the satellites, and ends with the ground receivers at the National Search and Rescue Center, where the distress call system is fully tested.

Dr. Stephen Tomajan, Director General of the National Centre for Search and Rescue commented, “This smart technical initiative reflects the cooperation and coordination of the authorities in the United Arab Emirates to provide the best services in the aviation safety sector.” He also stressed that this service would constitute a quantum leap in this field, as it will save a lot of time compared to the previous process.

Hassan Al Hosani, CEO of Bayanat said, “This initiative, in cooperation with the National Centre for Search and Rescue, represents the benefit of modern techniques and technology, which contributes to the development of the aviation safety sector and the improvement of productivity.”

The process of receiving test signals is governed through the electronic cloud to provide the highest standards of cybersecurity and facilitate the passing of information to the relevant authorities.