Case Study: Airbus strengthens global navigation with PA Consulting's quantum technology

Strengthening global navigation with quantum technology

Airbus worked with PA Consulting on the InnovateUK-sponsored High-BIAS project to address a critical navigation challenge: GPS and GNSS systems can be disrupted by outages, cyberattacks, atmospheric effects, and interference. The goal was to explore portable quantum sensing technology that could provide more accurate, reliable, and drift-free navigation for aerospace applications.

PA Consulting acted as systems integrator, providing business case development, requirements gathering, systems engineering, and roadmap development alongside Airbus Blue Sky, ColdQuanta, and Fraunhofer UK. The team developed a proof of concept for a quantum accelerometer, identified ways to cut the development cycle from 30 months to 15 months, and created a three- to five-year commercialization path, helping lay the foundation for safer, more secure navigation technology.

Airbus