Researchers turn ocean dead zones into talking skies for pilots

Researchers are developing satellite links that bring clear, real time radio and data connections to flights over oceans, helping air traffic controllers keep routes safer and more efficient.

By Michael Allen

On 4 June 2025, air traffic controllers in Spain’s Canary Islands held a clear, uninterrupted conversation with a commercial pilot flying high above the Atlantic.

To most people, that might sound routine. For flights far from land, it is anything but.

Over oceans...