Following the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, Tony Tyler, chief executive of the International Air Transport Association, has stated that the industry should consider real-time tracking of aircraft:
"In a world where our every move seems to be tracked," said Tyler, "we cannot let another aircraft simply disappear."
Tyler has called for "urgent action and careful analysis" by regulators and carriers to develop and implement world-wide standards for transmitting the position of commercial aircraft.
The IATA chief has acknowledged the complexity and expense of setting up reliable satellite tracking everywhere but he has now publically endorsed action in this area.
The call has also been echoed by the International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations, which stated: "Technology is available that can significantly enhance the ability to locate a missing aircraft, and this technology must become the standard across the industry.”
Boeing too has confirmed it "will participate in and support the effort to find effective and efficient ways to enhance global tracking".