Overview
- United’s 737-8 served as Boeing’s 2025 ecoDemonstrator Explorer for IPS evaluations conducted over roughly two weeks starting in late October.
- Flights were based in Houston and Edinburgh to trial Internet Protocol Suite standards that aim to speed data exchange between cockpits, air traffic control and airline operations.
- The system is intended to boost safety and efficiency while reducing air-traffic congestion, fuel burn, costs and emissions, according to Boeing.
- The effort brought in Collins Aerospace, Honeywell, SITA, Thales, Viasat, the European Space Agency, the FAA, NASA’s Air Traffic Management project and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
- Partners highlighted satcom datalink capability, with Viasat’s SB-S building on ESA’s Iris Global to support ATN/IPS and future trajectory-based operations, as broader validation and certification still lie ahead.