Inmarsat: Greener Flights Coming to Italy Soon as ITA Airways to Join Iris Air Traffic Modernisation Programme
Digitally-connected flights to and from Italy will be available from this summer, as ITA Airways rolls out the European Space Agency (ESA) and Inmarsat’s ground-breaking Iris data link technology to the cockpits of its full aircraft fleet, contributing to airspace modernisation in Europe.
ITA Airways will be the first full service carrier in Europe to join Iris. The programme enables aircraft to fly more fuel-efficient routes by providing digital satellite communications to complement VHF data link, which is nearing a capacity crunch in congested airspace. Without fast and reliable data links between aircraft and the ground, air traffic managers cannot unlock the 8-10% reduction in CO2 emissions identified by EUROCONTROL from improved Air Traffic Management (ATM). Iris will allow ATM players to better anticipate and collaborate to maximise airspace use, reducing the impact of disruptions for passengers while reducing emissions.
The Italian national carrier will equip its full fleet of new Airbus A320neo and A330neo aircraft deliveries with Inmarsat’s SwiftBroadband-Safety (SB-S), the award-winning platform flying on more than 230 aircraft globally, which powers Iris. Its aircraft will also play a significant role in Iris demonstration flights, which will take place across European airspace supported by 14 Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs) during 2023.
This news comes as five more airlines have now equipped aircraft with Inmarsat SB-S, after Airbus’ Light Cockpit Satcom (LCS) terminal became available to order in December 2022. Current SB-S users include Virgin Atlantic, Jet2, and Transavia Airlines, in addition to ITA Airways and easyJet.
Across the seven European airlines, 72 aircraft deliveries with Airbus LCS installed are anticipated during 2023-2024. Iris-capable Inmarsat terminals across many more of Europe’s commercial airlines will further support the Single European Sky ATM Research (SESAR) masterplan.
Alessio Leone, Head of Camo Operations, at ITA Airways said “ITA Airways was born to guarantee Italy quality connectivity with a strong focus on the environmental impact through an important investment made in a homogeneous and technologically advanced fleet, which in 2026 will be made up of 80% of new generation aircrafts becoming the greenest fleet in Europe. We are proud to join the Iris programme, which is fully in line with our growth strategy as it reflects two of the core pillars of ITA Airways: sustainability and innovation. ITA Airways is the first full service carrier in Europe with a new fleet fully equipped with this cutting-edge technology by Inmarsat Aviation, delivering operational and environmental benefits.”
Joel Klooster, Inmarsat Aviation’s Senior Vice President of Aircraft Operations and Safety, said “We are delighted to welcome ITA Airways as the second airline to join Iris, coming only months after easyJet was announced as the first airline. This shows the impressive momentum that continues to build around the programme as it heads towards commercial service introduction in Europe this year, followed by a full global rollout. Iris will mark a transformational step-change in air traffic management, delivering operational and environment benefits for airlines and the aviation industry as a whole, while also enhancing the flight experience for passengers.”
Javier Benedicto, Acting Director of Telecommunications and Integrated Applications at ESA, said: “We are proud to support the space-enabled digitalisation of Europe’s skies, which will help to make aviation greener. ESA developed the Iris system in partnership with Inmarsat and we welcome ITA Airways as the first full service carrier and the second airline to sign up to use it. Investing in space improves life on Earth.”
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS:
ITA follows easyJet, which became the first airline to join the programme last June.
ABOUT ITA AIRWAYS
ITA Airways is a company totally owned by the Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance for the exercise of business in the air transport sector. ITA Airways aims at creating an efficient and innovative air carrier that will become a reference point in providing Italy with quality connectivity both in terms of international destinations, thus boosting tourism and foreign trade, and within the Country, also taking advantage of the train-air integrated mobility. ITA Airways will place the best customer service at the center of its strategy (through a strong digitization of processes that ensure a best-in-class experience and personalized services), combined with sustainability, in its environmental (new green and technologically advanced aircraft, use of sustainable fuels), social (equality and inclusion for a gender-neutral company) and governance (integration of sustainability into internal strategies and processes) aspects. ITA Airways is a member of SkyTeam alliance as of October 2021.
ABOUT INMARSAT
Inmarsat delivers world leading, innovative, advanced and exceptionally reliable global, mobile communications across the world – in the air, at sea and on land - that are enabling a new generation of commercial, government and mission-critical services. Inmarsat is powering the digitalisation of the maritime industry, making operations more efficient and safer than ever before. It is driving a new era of inflight passenger services for aviation, while ensuring that aircraft can fly with maximum efficiency and safety. Furthermore, Inmarsat is enabling the rapid expansion of the Internet of Things (IoT) and enabling the next wave of world-changing technologies that will underpin the connected society and help build a sustainable future. And now Inmarsat is developing the first-of-its-kind, multi-dimensional communications network of the future, ORCHESTRA.
In November 2021, Inmarsat and Viasat announced the planned combination of the two companies, to create a new leader in global communications.
For further information, follow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook | YouTube | Instagram.
ABOUT IRIS
Iris benefits airlines and ANSPs by bringing the bandwidth and reliability to allow digital exchanges between the aircraft and ground systems. System-to-system digital communication enables flights to be managed more efficiently through trajectory-based operations. These 4 Dimensional Trajectory-Based Operations (4D TBO) improve the management of airspace capacity, unlocking operational efficiency for airlines by avoiding holding patterns, accessing improved routes and optimum altitudes, and using continuous climb and descent pathways. The additional datalink capacity provided by SB-S will also power a host of onboard digital applications, such as AI flight profile optimisers and real-time weather applications.
European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) certification of ESSP as the Communication Service Provider for the Iris data link service is nearing completion, and will mark the first air navigation service provider to own a pan-European certificate that allows cross-border delivery of air traffic management services.
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230308005515/en/
Contact information
Inmarsat
press@inmarsat.com
ITA Airways
Nicolò Mardegan
Head of Communication and Institutional Relations
media@ita-airways.com
About Business Wire
For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
Monument Re Transfers €1.4bn Greycastle Portfolio to RGA and Strengthens European Life Insurance Consolidation Platform9.5.2025 15:00:00 EEST | Press release
Monument Re Limited (“Monument”) announces today that it has transferred a legacy €1.4bn reinsurance portfolio, comprising annuity and other life insurance liabilities acquired as part of the 2020 Greycastle transaction, to RGA Americas Reinsurance Company, Ltd. (“RGA”). This transaction releases capital resources that Monument will redirect to its core strategy of consolidation in European life insurance markets. The transaction completed on 2May 2025 following approval by the Boards of Directors of both Monument and RGA and non-objection from the Bermuda Monetary Authority. Monument has taken significant steps in recent months to strengthen its business operations by consolidating its European group support functions in Dublin and by aligning with the recently strengthened regulatory regime in Bermuda. With its strong financial position and best in class capabilities in the Group, Monument remains ideally positioned to build on its success to date and grow its European footprint, del
IFF Completes Divestiture of Nitrocellulose Business9.5.2025 15:00:00 EEST | Press release
IFF (NYSE: IFF) today announced that it has completed the divestiture of its nitrocellulose business, including Walsrode Industrial Park in lower Saxony, Germany, to Czechoslovak Group (CSG). The business manufactures nitrocellulose strictly for industrial purposes, serving customers primarily in coatings and printing inks, and had been part of IFF’s Pharma Solutions business unit. “The divestiture of our nitrocellulose business builds upon our deleveraging journey and enables us to focus on our core businesses,” said Erik Fyrwald, IFF CEO. “I’d like to thank our nitrocellulose colleagues for their dedication and wish them continued success as part of CSG.” Welcome to IFF At IFF (NYSE: IFF), we make joy through science, creativity and heart. As the global leader in flavors, fragrances, food ingredients, health and biosciences, we deliver groundbreaking, sustainable innovations that elevate everyday products—advancing wellness, delighting the senses and enhancing the human experience.Le
CPAC Systems AB Announces Strategic Minority Investment in Flying Fish9.5.2025 13:33:00 EEST | Press release
CPAC Systems AB, a leader in advanced control systems and embedded vessel and commercial vehicle technology, today announced a strategic minority investment in Flying Fish Maritime Innovations B.V., a pioneer in advanced shared water mobility solutions and robust, cost-effective hydrofoil technology. The investment underscores both companies’ commitment to redefining water-based transportation through innovation, sustainability, and seamless integration. It marks the beginning of a deeper collaboration aimed at enabling smarter, cleaner, and more connected mobility on the water — for both recreational and commercial applications. “We are thrilled to support Flying Fish and their impressive work in redefining water mobility,"saidMarcus Wingolf, CEO of CPAC Systems. "Our investment in Flying Fish represents a strategic alignment of our technical proficiencies and innovative ambitions. This partnership opens exciting new possibilities for integration and sustainable transformation across
Kioxia Receives IEEE Corporate Innovation Award9.5.2025 10:00:00 EEST | Press release
Kioxia Corporation, a world leader in memory solutions, today announced that it has received the IEEE Corporate Innovation Award from the Institute of Electrical & Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the world’s largest technical professional organization dedicated to advancing technology for the benefit of humanity. This award recognizes Kioxia's outstanding contribution in the field of electrical and electronics engineering through its BiCS FLASH™ technology, a low-cost, high-capacity 3D flash memory innovation. The award ceremony was held on April 24 in Tokyo. The IEEE Corporate Innovation Award is a globally-recognized honor bestowed upon organizations that have developed innovative technologies, products or services that have made a substantial contribution to the advancement of electrical and electronics engineering. Since its inception in 1985, the award has been presented to leading electronics manufacturers and IT companies worldwide, and Kioxia is proud to be the seventh Japanese c
Suzano Reports Record First-Quarter Revenue9.5.2025 03:12:00 EEST | Press release
Suzano, the world’s largest pulp producer, announces its first quarter results for 2025 (1Q25) with record net revenue of R$11.6 billion, up 22% on the same quarter last year (1Q24). The result was driven by the exchange rates, increased pulp sales volumes from the new Ribas do Rio Pardo mill, higher paper volume and prices and the positive contribution from our paperboard mills recently acquired in the U.S. The record revenues occurred despite a series of planned downtimes in the quarter, including production lines of the Três Lagoas Unit, Mucuri Unit, and Aracruz Unit, and the Ribas do Rio Pardo Unit’s first scheduled maintenance downtime. Sales exceeded 3 million tonnes in the quarter, a rise of 12% compared to 1Q24, comprising 2.7 million tonnes of pulp and 390 thousand tonnes of paper, up 10% and 25%, respectively, on the same quarter last year. Adjusted EBITDA totaled R$4.9 billion, a 7% increase over 1Q24. Operating cash generation totaled R$2.6 billion, rising 5% on 1Q24. Net p
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom