AERO 2025: A New Era of Airspace Safety for all pilots

Tristan Fily
May 2
3 min read

The skies are busier than ever with more and more flights and aircraft types.

In addition, with the explosive rise of drone activities across Europe, a new generation of alert systems for pilots is no longer a luxury. Mid-air collisions and near-misses remain a critical concern.

At AERO 2025, SafeSky, alongside key industry leaders and EASA, took center stage

in shaping the next chapter of aviation safety.

Why Now?

The foundation of Visual Flight Rules (VFR) is “See and Avoid.” But today, that’s no longer enough. Modern skies are filled with a mix of traditional aircraft and new drone traffic, and the human eye simply can’t detect everything, especially small, fast-moving aircraft that can’t “see” you neither.

National radar systems focus on controlled airspace and commercial flights. That leaves a massive gap at lower altitudes where much of general aviation and drone operations happen.

If we don’t bridge this gap, the future of our freedom to fly is at risk.

The Solution: Electronic Conspicuity (EC)

“Looking out” will always be essential, but today’s pilots need digital support too. That’s where Electronic Conspicuity (EC) comes in: a system that makes all airspace users electronically visible, significantly boosting situational awareness and safety.

In addition, EASA’s Conspicuity Declaration, introduced at AERO 2025, aims to break down barriers to adoption. Crucially, it guarantees that pilots’ electronic data will not be used for penalties, but rather as a tool for safety and “just culture.”

🔗 Read the Declaration

EASA New Standards for EC

EASA now recognises multiple technical ways to achieve eConspicuity:

• ADS-B (certified) – the gold standard in many modern aircraft.

• ADS-L (868 MHz, license-free) – for traffic awareness at close range.

• ADS-L 4 Mobile (via cellular networks) – uplinking and downlinking traffic, weather, and flight information over LTE.

Aircraft equipped with such systems are ‘visible’ in two ways : 

directly in the air for other pilots that have receiver equipment on board
indirectly via ground stations that capture their signals. These signals can be sent to pilots via LTE / mobile telephony

Mobile Telephony: Already a Game-Changer

While full-scale ADS-L 4 Mobile is on its way, pilots are already benefiting from mobile-based visibility: SafeSky, among others, provides 80% coverage up to 5,000 ft AGL across Europe

The technology has proven effective precisely where pilots face the highest statistical risk of mid-air collisions:

below 2000ft
in the vicinity of non-controlled airfields,, especially when the pilots is not familiar with the circuit
over tourist hotspots and coastal areas.

Above 5,000 ft AGL, pilots are typically within controlled airspace, where the risk of mid-air collisions is significantly lower.

With 85,000+ pilots using SafeSky and 100,000 more on partner apps (AirNavPro, EASYVFR, Gaggle, Flymaster, Syride, etc.), there is already a huge leap forward in visibility.

And soon, thanks to satellite-based LTE (LEO networks) for unmodified phones, even remote areas without mobile coverage will be connected. Solutions like Starlink, OneWeb, Kuiper, and IRIS2 are leading the way, and LEO mobile connectivity will become a commodity service in the air for all pilots.

The ADS-L Coalition

At AERO 2025, EASA also succeeded in uniting nearly all major device and software producers in a joint declaration. They all committed to support ADS-L and its further development to enhance situational awareness whether in the air or on the ground.

The First Full ADS-L Device on the Market

A major highlight at AERO: the debut of the AVIONIX Aero-Tracker, the first true ADS-L device with SafeSky technology built in.

This groundbreaking device:

• Transmits and receives ADS-L signals air-to-air,

• Includes a SIM card for internet access, allowing it to send and receive SafeSky traffic via ADS-L Mobile.

Even without internet access (e.g., at higher altitudes), it continues to broadcast and receive signals directly from nearby aircraft—ensuring you remain visible at all times.

With SafeSky fully integrated, no smartphone app is required, the entire system is embedded within the device.

Attention: Stay Vigilant!

Remember, no system is perfect. Some traffic remains invisible:

Mode S transponders out of ground station range,
Pilots or drones not transmitting their position.

So, keep practicing smart flying:

Equip your aircraft with ADS-B or ADS-L.
Use cooperative devices like SafeSky.
Enlist your passenger as a vigilant second pair of eyes.
Use radio traffic information
Educate fellow pilots to be visible.
Advocate for more ground stations at your airfield.

Fly Safe everyone,

The SafeSky Team