Building a Safety‑Certifiable Global Operation for a World‑First Aviation Service
Situation
Aireon was creating something that had never existed before: satellite‑based ADS‑B aviation surveillance data delivered for ATC use by a commercial company — not an ANSP. No commercial organisation had ever provided safety‑critical surveillance data directly into national air traffic management systems. There was no blueprint, no regulatory precedent, and no existing operational model to build from. Everything had to be created from scratch — and it had to meet the highest safety, reliability, and regulatory standards in aviation. Aireon needed a safety‑certifiable global operation capable of delivering real‑time surveillance data to ANSPs around the world, with the rigor and reliability of a national aviation authority.
Mandate
Design, build, and operationalize Aireon’s entire delivery and operations ecosystem — from zero — and lead the organisation through the first‑ever commercial EASA safety certification for ATC surveillance data. This included building every operational function required for a safety‑critical aviation service: Security operations, Customer support, Quality assurance, Training and competency management, Internal Operations PMO, Service delivery processes and governance, Safety and regulatory compliance frameworks. All of it had to be built to aviation‑grade standards, with no margin for error.
Actions
- Architected and delivered Aireon’s full operational foundation, including processes, governance, staffing, tooling, and cross‑functional alignment
- Designed and implemented a safety‑certifiable operating model aligned with EASA requirements for surveillance data services
- Created Aireon’s global customer support organisation, including SLAs, escalation paths, tooling, and 24/7 operational readiness
- Established the security operations function, ensuring compliance with aviation, data, and infrastructure security standards
- Built the QA and testing function, including validation frameworks for satellite‑derived ADS‑B data
- Developed the training and competency program for internal teams and ANSP stakeholders
- Created the internal Operations PMO, providing governance, delivery discipline, and cross‑functional coordination
- Led the multi‑year regulatory effort culminating in the first commercial EASA safety certification for ATC surveillance data
- Aligned engineering, safety, regulatory, and ANSP stakeholders across multiple countries and regulatory regimes
Outcomes
- Aireon achieved the first commercial EASA Safety Certification for satellite‑based ADS‑B surveillance data — a world‑first accomplishment
- A fully functioning, globally scalable operations. operations organisation was built from zero
- Aireon became capable of delivering safety‑critical surveillance data to ANSPs worldwide with aviation‑grade reliability
- Operational readiness, safety compliance, and service delivery performance reached levels comparable to national aviation authorities
- The company moved from concept to certified, operational reality — with a delivery and operations foundation built to last
ImpactAireon became the world’s first commercial provider of satellite‑based ADS‑B surveillance data for ATC use — supported by an operational ecosystem designed, built, and delivered to safety‑critical standards. The operating model, PMO, support structure, and safety frameworks built remain the backbone of Aireon’s global service delivery today.