Following the news that Collins Aerospace, a Raytheon Technologies business, is to acquire FlightAware;

Madeline Wild, Associate Defense Analyst at GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, offers her view:

“The acquisition of FlightAware by Collins Aerospace signifies a commitment to its investment in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). GlobalData currently ranks Raytheon Technologies highly for its AI activities, and it is evident that the company is aware of the benefits of being a leader in this area.

“The purchase will allow Collins Aerospace to increase its connectivity levels, boost its cyber capabilities, and help to futureproof the business in one of the biggest themes in defense: AI.

“It is likely that Collins Aerospace will follow this move with further acquisitions in the flight tracking field. GlobalData identifies Flightradar24, Aireon and Plane Finder as likely purchases, as they offer a similar service to FlightAware”.