The business aviation industry is still behind the curve when it comes to meeting the Jan. 1, 2020 ADS-B equipage mandate, according to recent analysis by Duncan Aviation. Using data from its proprietary customer database, the FAA and other sources, the Nebraska-based MRO provider determined that as of the end of March, approximately 73 percent of U.S.-registered business jets, more than 10,000 aircraft, have not yet complied with the mandate.
“At the current rate of ADS-B adoption, about 4,760 aircraft will still need ADS-B when the mandate goes into effect,” said Mark Cote, the company’s vice president of parts sales, avionics and satellites. “Those aircraft, for all intents and purposes, will be grounded.” He added that for the entire fleet to be ADS-B compliant, 320 aircraft would need to be updated every month from now until the midnight Dec. 31, 2019 deadline, more than twice the number currently being upgraded on a monthly basis.
“The FAA has stated several times that the mandate deadline will not change,” said Cote. “With limited labor and hangar capacity, operators need to plan ahead to ensure their business aircraft will be able to continue to meet its mission and company needs.”