Why Most Airlines Won't Use Streaming Technology for Aircraft Data

Canada's First Air is the only airline to say publicly it is using the FLYHT system

The use of black boxes to record critical flight data is striking many experts as antiquated, even though technology exists to stream information from an aircraft to a ground computer, according to NBC News. 

The system doesn’t continuously send data to ground-based computers, but activates in the event of an abnormal occurrence, sending data to the airline to analyze. The airline can then apply corrective action. 

The streaming devices are similar to the hardware used in black boxes on aircraft for decades. In the event of a plane crash, the data transmitted can help searchers pinpoint a specific search location. 

The technology hasn’t been widely adopted, mainly because of the cost. FLYHT Aerospace Solutions, a Canadian company, provides an on-demand black box at about $100,000 per plane.

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