Connected Aircraft: How IoT Is Used in Aerospace

Thousands of sensors, used to predict problems before they ground a plane.

Aircraft sensors feed health monitoring and predictive maintenance for engines, hydraulics, brakes and landing gear. Short messages go out in flight, and larger flight data is downloaded after landing.

• Navigation support: ADS-B tracking, weather data and digital charts on the pilot tablet
• Controlled software and navigation database updates through strict procedures
• Fleet-level analytics that reveal patterns a single aircraft cannot
• Flight software certified to standards such as DO-178C

Flight control and safety-critical systems are isolated from this data layer, and the network is split into separate domains.