Startical has completed the first real-time voice communication between a pilot and ATCO using VHF signals transmitted via satellite.
The test communication was achieved using IOD-1, Startical's first In-Orbit Demonstrator satellite, launched in March 2025 as part of the European-funded ECHOES project.
Startical was founded by ENAIRE and Indra to provide communication and surveillance services from space.
The first conversation took place during a functional test with actual traffic over the Atlantic Ocean. A pilot communicated with a controller at ENAIRE's Area Control Centre in Gran Canaria following standard procedures.
Several tests have been conducted successfully, including participation from airlines such as Iberia, Air Europa and TAP Air Portugal, demonstrating the system's robustness. Aircraft require no new equipment, and neither pilots nor controllers need additional training.
"This opens a world of possibilities for safer, more connected skies," said Juan Enrique González Laguna, general manager of Startical.
The test confirmed successful integration with ground-based systems. It included coordination between Startical's satellite operations center in Madrid, Indra's and ENAIRE's technical teams, air traffic controllers in the Canary Islands, and participating pilots.
IOD-1 is equipped with an ADS-B surveillance system and a three-meter VHF deployable antenna to confirm the feasibility of real-time communications between air traffic controllers and pilots.
Aircraft flying over oceans or remote regions currently lack real-time voice communication, requiring greater separation distances and limiting traffic capacity. Startical's solution enables real-time voice and data exchange and continuous aircraft tracking worldwide.
Enrique Maurer, general manager of ENAIRE, said: "The successful establishment of voice communications using Startical represents a significant milestone, showcasing the success of a public-private partnership that positions Spain at the global forefront of technological innovation in air navigation."
José Vicente de los Mozos, Indra Group's CEO, said: "This milestone confirms that we are making history in aviation by transforming the way we fly to enhance safety and flight management capacity, especially in remote areas."
Startical's second demonstrator satellite, IOD-2, is scheduled to launch in the coming months. Tests will continue in the South Atlantic corridor, covering Flight Information Regions over the Canary Islands, Azores-Santa Maria, Dakar Oceanic, Cape Verde, and Brazil's Atlantic.
These satellites form the foundation for the upcoming Startical constellation of over 200 satellites in low Earth orbit, which will deliver global coverage for real-time air traffic voice and data communications and ADS-B surveillance.