Airlines and general aviation aircraft owners and operators can apply to the FAA for an exemption to part of the ADS-B OUT equipment requirements, which could make meeting the U.S. 2020 ADS-B mandate temporarily simpler. The exemption basically allows use of a less-capable GPS or global navigation satellite system GNSS) sensor (basically non-WAAS) coupled with a rule-compliant ADS-B transponder to meet the ADS-B Out deadline. The exemption requires the upgraded transponder, new wiring to allow installation of the compliant GNSS so it is a simple swap and a plan for how and when the final upgrade will be completed, according to Jens Hennig, v-p of operations at the General Aviation Manufacturers Association. “The operator is also required to qualify its existing GPS to support ADS-B and use the Service Availability Prediction Tool (SAPT) for every flight,” he explained. “Both Boeing and Airbus are behind the curve on having service bulletins for the airlines to install [ADS-B],” said Ric Peri, vice president of government and industry affairs for the Aircraft Electronics Association. “Hence the need for a delay. The delay is only for the position source, not the ADS-B transponder/transmitter.”