Cameras, smart sensors, and AI systems could increasingly take over tasks on board in the future – from assisting pilots in emergency situations to optimizing fuel consumption. However, with every new application, the amount of data generated on the aircraft continues to grow. The GoldenGate research project investigates how this data can be processed efficiently and transferred to the ground via an optical connection within just a few minutes after landing.
Flying Data Centers
During a turnaround, every minute counts: unloading baggage, refueling, cleaning, disembarking and boarding passengers – everything has to happen quickly and smoothly. Future aircraft systems will add a new challenge: an increasing number of cameras, sensors, and AI applications will generate vast amounts of data that must not only be processed on board but also transmitted rapidly after landing.
For example, technologies are currently being researched that could enable an aircraft to perform an emergency landing if the pilots become incapacitated (Project Dragonfly by Airbus). In addition, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) expects AI to help identify safety risks at an early stage and find new ways to reduce fuel consumption and emissions (Fly Net Zero).
The Growing Data Mountain on Board
To bring these forward-looking concepts into future aircraft, two key questions must be addressed: How can data from numerous cameras, radar, LiDAR, and other sensor systems be integrated into a common onboard network? And how can this data leave the aircraft quickly and reliably after landing?
Future long-haul flights could generate up to 100 terabytes of data – roughly equivalent to four years of continuous Netflix streaming. However, with today’s transmission methods, such as satellite communications or mobile networks, transferring these volumes of data within the short turnaround window is impossible. The “download” would take hours or even days.
Keeping the data on board is not a practical solution either, as the required storage capacity would significantly increase weight and complexity and would be far more expensive than transferring the data.
Data Transmission via Light Beam
A promising alternative could be LiFi (Light Fidelity): the wireless transmission of data using light. Information is transferred via an optical link between the aircraft and a ground station.
The GoldenGate research project (from german „Gebündelter Optischer Link für DatENgetriebene AeronauTische Eingebettete Systeme“) investigates the extent to which this technology can be used for future aviation systems. The goal is to establish a seamless data chain from the sensor inside the aircraft to handover at a ground station.
The key research questions addressed by GoldenGate are:
- How can heterogeneous data be managed? Cameras, radar, LiDAR, and dozens of sensors all generate different types of data. How can these sources be integrated and managed within a common onboard network?
- What data actually matters? Not every measurement needs to be stored. How can AI filter the data on board and retain only what is truly relevant? To what extent can redundant data already be identified by AI before transmission?
- Where should the data be stored until landing? How must onboard storage systems be organized so they can absorb all incoming data and release it again at extremely high speed?
- How can 100 terabytes be transferred within just a few minutes? This is where LiFi comes into play: how can an optical communication link be built that reliably achieves at least 1 terabit per second?
- Does it all work together? How can the sensor network, storage system, and optical data transmission interact seamlessly as one complete system? This will be demonstrated in an aircraft mock-up at the ZAL TechCenter.
The Contribution of ZAL GmbH
ZAL GmbH is responsible for the beginning of the data journey – everything that happens on board before the data reaches the gate. First, the team develops a network that connects the aircraft’s many sensors and systems and consolidates their data. The key innovation: small edge computers act both as sorting service and data waste disposal, allowing only the truly relevant information to pass through. Finally, ZAL integrates all project components within its own aircraft mock-up and verifies that the complete system functions as intended.
If GoldenGate succeeds, aircraft data may one day leave the aircraft even faster than the passengers. Although the research is still at an early stage, the project demonstrates that data-driven systems also have the potential to make aviation safer and more sustainable. The project kickoff took place on June 18, 2026, at the ZAL TechCenter. The project is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy as part of the LuFo VII-1 Aviation Research Programme.
Partners
- airoLiFi (Consortium Leader)
- Cadami GmbH
- ZAL GmbH
- Christian Albrecht University of Kiel
