Korean Air Collaborates with Wingbits to Enhance Air Traffic Control

Korean Air has announced a collaboration with Swedish flight tracking company Wingbits to advance its research in sustainable air travel and autonomous aviation. The partnership, revealed on September 23, 2023, will allow Korean Air to utilize real-time flight-tracking data from Wingbits, covering operations across three continents. This initiative aims to enhance the airline’s innovative capabilities, particularly in the realm of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM).

Through its research and development center, the Seoul-based airline plans to integrate Wingbits’ extensive data network into its existing projects. Wingbits tracks approximately 150,000 flights daily, leveraging input from over 4,500 global contributors. This collaboration marks a significant step in Korean Air’s ongoing efforts to improve operational efficiency and safety in air travel.

Enhancing Air Traffic Control Systems

The partnership will specifically support the development and testing of the ACROSS (Air Control and Routing Orchestrated Skyway System), which is Korean Air’s proprietary Integrated Air Traffic Control and Routing Coordination System. The R&D center will gain access to high-quality, real-time ADS-B data that includes coverage of the Incheon Flight Information Region, along with portions of North America and Europe.

KwangOh Moon, Principal Researcher in AAM at Korean Air’s R&D Center, emphasized the importance of accurate data, stating, “Precise, secure, real-time data is foundational to our work. We chose to cooperate with Wingbits to integrate their data network into our R&D activities, specifically to enhance the global capabilities of our ACROSS platform. This collaboration will help us produce world-class outcomes in airspace integration research, and we look forward to our mutual success.”

The agreement also aims to bolster Korean Air’s research into urban air mobility technologies and unmanned aircraft systems. This highlights the airline’s commitment to pioneering new aviation technologies that can redefine air travel.

Advancing the Future of Aviation

Wingbits, founded in 2023, is the first incentive-based aircraft tracking network, rewarding contributors for the quality of the data they provide. Within its inaugural year, the company achieved 80% global coverage with more than 4,500 active stations. This extensive network is designed to enhance safety and reliability within the aviation sector.

The partnership will allow Wingbits to further its mission of developing more rigorous aircraft tracking practices. The collaboration represents a significant milestone for both companies as they work together to shape the future of air mobility and integrated airspace management.

Korean Air, operating from Incheon International Airport (ICN), manages over 700 weekly flights to more than 90 destinations across Asia-Pacific, Europe, and North America. With a growing fleet of 165 aircraft, the airline is poised for substantial expansion, following a record order placed with Boeing.

The R&D center plays a crucial role within Korean Air’s Aerospace division, focusing on diverse fields including unmanned aerial vehicles, satellite structure design, and maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) activities. Recently, Korean Air established a partnership with Boeing to enhance its predictive maintenance capabilities, further underscoring its commitment to innovation.

As the airline looks forward, its R&D Center is dedicated to designing systems that enable the effective operation of next-generation aircraft platforms, including electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. The ACROSS system will serve as a comprehensive traffic management and operations control solution, facilitating real-time monitoring and scalable airspace integration for future urban air mobility services.