Iridium Acquires Remaining Stake in Aireon for $367 Million to Expand Aviation Safety

Iridium Communications has agreed to acquire the remaining 61% of Aireon, an aircraft-tracking venture, for approximately $367 million. The deal involves purchasing shares from five air navigation service providers, including NAV CANADA and NATS, with the transaction expected to close in early July pending regulatory approvals. Iridium will also assume about $155 million of Aireon’s debt. This acquisition grants Iridium full control over Aireon’s space-based ADS-B tracking services, which monitor roughly 190,000 flights daily using the Iridium Next satellite constellation. The move aims to expand Iridium’s footprint in aviation safety, surveillance, and data services. As part of the agreement, key partners like NAV CANADA and NATS have extended data service contracts through 2035 and plan to cooperate on future space-based VHF communication projects. Iridium anticipates the deal will contribute at least $100 million in annualized service revenue and $30 million in operational EBITDA. The company intends to fund the purchase through existing financial resources and credit facilities. This strategic consolidation allows Iridium to leverage rich satellite data for advanced applications, including GPS jamming detection and enhanced positioning, navigation, and timing services.