Braking action data for better landings and runway operations
Aircraft Braking Action Reports (ABARs) precisely measure and report braking performance, reflecting the actual braking action — the wheel braking coefficient — experienced by landing aircraft.
The FAA and Transport Canada have identified ABARs as the most precise technology for this purpose. Powered by a proprietary reporting network – ABARnet™ – AST offers the industry’s most comprehensive ABAR solution. AST's network delivers real-time, ASTM International-compliant braking data with model-specific insights for any aircraft.
Built on over 23M landings and 17 years of collaboration with industry stakeholders, ABARnet's performance models analyze a wide range of data such as aircraft weight, brake pressure, engine thrust, and wing size. The subsequent reports provide unique, data-driven insights about braking friction that supplement common reporting formats like RCAMs, FICONs, and NOTAMs.
Data-driven.
Objective.
Accurate.
Precise.
Predictable.
Our ABARs pull approved data directly from an aircraft’s existing sensors, then analyze it in an aircraft performance model to calculate all deceleration forces impacting braking.
These deceleration forces can include:
Aerodynamic drag: resistance caused by airflow over the aircraft's surfaces
Thrust reversers: engine mechanisms that redirect thrust forward to slow the aircraft
Wheel brakes: mechanical braking systems that engage upon landing
Spoilers: panels on the wings that deploy in-flight and after touchdown to reduce lift and increase drag
Lift dumpers: devices that rapidly reduce lift by fully deploying the spoilers, transferring the aircraft's weight onto the wheels for more effective braking after touchdown
Rolling resistance: friction between the aircraft’s tires and the runway surface
Runway slope: the incline or decline of the runway, which either helps slow the aircraft (uphill) or increase speed (downhill)
Endorsed by FAA and Transport Canada
The FAA and Transport Canada recommend ABAR technology for measuring and reporting on braking action and runway conditions. ABARs supplement RCAMs, FICONs, NOTAMs, and other reports with precise, accurate, and objective data about the actual braking performance of landing aircraft. Using science, not subjectivity, pilots, airlines, and airports can make critical decisions with higher confidence. The regulators' main goal? Stop runway excursions—before they happen.
For airlines and pilots:
No more landing approaches based on subjective PIREPs from recent landings. No more guessing the conditions of runways you’re about to land on. With data-driven insights from ABARs, pilots know their available braking deceleration with certainty.
For airports:
No more using "eye tests" to determine runway conditions, available braking friction, or when to schedule maintenance. Science-based ABARs enable smarter decisions around airside operations to help keep flight plans on track, optimize runway usage, and reduce the costs associated with plowing and chemical treatments.
Supplement RCAMs, FICONs, and NOTAMs with reports for any aircraft model
Our ABARs are completely aircraft-agnostic. Boeing, Airbus, Bombardier—ABARnet™ reports on any modern hull. Subscribers have access to advanced braking data for any fleet and operating region. And joining the network is easy. Airlines can onboard fleets virtually overnight and scale deployment at a comfortable pace. Plus, ABARnet reports can seamlessly integrate into your existing reporting formats, with minimal impact on SOPs.
ASTM-COMPLIANT
Complies with ASTM International E3266 Standard
Industry approved
The ABARnet™ braking measurement and reporting network has demonstrated full compliance with ASTM International’s Standard E3266 for Friction-Limited Aircraft Braking Measurements and Reporting. Standard E3266 was authored by a subcommittee of the Society of Aircraft Performance and Operations Engineers (SAPOE), comprised of engineers from several U.S. carriers, FAA, Boeing, and Airbus. It was published in November 2020. Compliance with the standard was reaffirmed by Aviation Safety Technologies at the SAPOE Conference in October, 2021.
Science-based, data-driven
Standard E3266 embraces the use of science for measuring braking friction and is accelerating the global acceptance of ABARs as the preferred methodology for reducing the risk of runway excursions.
The E3266 standard:
Applies to systems that measure and report on braking forces and runway friction.
Applies to any automated system that uses data pulled from an aircraft to create an Aircraft Braking Action Report (ABAR).
