ITT Corporation is to implement its new technology, automatic dependent surveillance — broadcast (ADS-B) system to improve aviation safety and efficiency in the Gulf of Mexico.

The ADS-B will allow airplanes to use more direct routes to reduce flight times and passenger delays, and decrease fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

According to ITT a ADS-B-equipped Airbus on a transatlantic flight could save 350lb of fuel a trip and the system could also reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of Boeing 757 aircraft by 38%, the company claims.

The technology will form a part of the Federal Aviation Administration’s next-generation air transportation system, designed to transform the current ground-based air traffic control system into a more efficient satellite-based system.

ADS-B will also address challenges specific to airspace over the Gulf of Mexico, a highly trafficked airspace which sees hundreds of commercial flights and over 600 helicopters operating every day to service 9,000 offshore oil and gas platforms.

ITT is also installing equipment to monitor weather in the area and enable the transmission of real-time weather information to aircraft through the technology. At present this information is only available for about a quarter of the Gulf of Mexico.

In 2007, the FAA awarded ITT a $1.86bn contract to develop and deploy the ADS-B system nationwide and operate and maintain the system after deployment through September 2025.