Airtel flying even higher with latest generation of ‘mission-critical’ flight equipment

Airtel, the Dún Laoghaire-based aircraft communications firm, is anticipating continued growth in its main product line of Data Link devices boosted by new technology and expansion into untapped markets worldwide.

“In a nutshell, what we do is text messages between pilots and controllers – it’s as simple as that,” said Santi Ibarz, Airtel chief executive.

Anything but simple, however, is developing mission-critical communication products in such a stringent regulatory environment, dominated by many international safety agencies and reams of red tape.

“In this industry, from idea to implementation could be seven to ten years. It’s very slow-moving,” said Ibarz, who is originally from Barcelona.

Their technology, which is now in a third of the worldwide fleet of around 35,000 aircraft, allows communication between ground staff and pilots, while also promising to increase fuel efficiency and save airlines money.

“Some of the trials that have been done in Europe show that for a flight of two hours, you can save around $10 or $20 of fuel,” said Ibarz, noting that this adds up over the lifetime of the aircraft.

The company, with revenues of €3.5 million last year, is aiming for €5 million by 2025 and a doubling to €7 million by 2027, off the back of a major expansion into the untapped Asian market and a new generation of its product.

The next-generation product will calculate and communicate flight trajectories to ground staff and manage optimal flight speed and altitude to maximise efficiency.

Expansion of this new product in the coming years throughout their existing markets of Europe and the US will provide the surge in revenue, with previously untapped Asia also on the horizon, according to Ibarz.

“We also see demand from Asia now, especially Singapore, Hong Kong, China and Japan,” said Ibarz, noting the company’s successful trial of their product in the last few years in China.

Enterprise Ireland (EI) funding was crucial to exploring the Asian market, he said, and saving the company from financial ruin when Covid hit.

“It was difficult for the company to survive, but we got grants from EI, and we’re very grateful for that. We just had to wait for the industry to start again,” Ibarz said.

Revenue has only fully recovered in the latest quarter, according to Ibarz, making Covid the second major blow to their business in its 25-year history, after the 9/11 attacks.

Airtel currently has 24 staff, almost all of whom are based in Dún Laoghaire, with the vast majority being software engineers. Ibarz has been with the company almost from the beginning, since 1999.

In order to fulfil the firm’s ambitious revenue goals, he foresees an increased headcount of between 40 and 50 over the next few years, with an eye to increased flexibility in working arrangements.

“It’s very hard to get staff,” said Ibarz. “We can’t pay the same as Google and Facebook, but we tend to be competitive in other areas like remote working and make sure that people can balance work and life.”

Despite the challenges, Ibarz said the company’s dependable reputation is the secret to its long-term success.

“We work in a very niche market, but we’re very well respected,” he said. “We build strong relationships with our customers. We haven’t lost any customer in the last 25 years, and we pride ourselves on that.”

This Making It Work article is produced in partnership with Enterprise Ireland.