AVIATION — AIRPORTS & AIRLINES
Systems certified to fly for decades need cryptography that lasts as long.
Aviation runs on equipment and identity documents with lifespans measured in decades. Quantum Sentinel helps airports and airlines discover their cryptography, understand where it’s exposed, and plan a transition that respects safety-critical constraints.
Why it matters here
Aircraft, avionics and ground systems stay in service for twenty to thirty years or more — the regulator itself cites the long lifespans of the air-traffic system as the reason to act on quantum readiness now. Identity documents make the point sharply: an electronic passport is signed with today’s algorithms and must verify for around a decade, so the trust placed in it has to survive the arrival of quantum computing. And unlike ordinary IT, safety-certified aviation systems can’t simply be patched — changes flow through certification, which makes crypto-agility harder and the case for early discovery stronger.
The regulatory picture
These are the drivers shaping cryptographic governance in aviation — not claims that any framework mandates post-quantum cryptography by name.
EASA Part-IS
Europe’s aviation information-security rules now require an aviation-specific information-security management system across the industry.
ICAO Doc 9303
The PKI behind e-passports relies on classical RSA and elliptic-curve signatures; ICAO is working to bring quantum-safe algorithms into the standard.
Airworthiness security (DO-326A / ED-202A)
The accepted process for aircraft cyber-security certification frames crypto changes as certification events, not routine updates.
FAA engagement
The FAA has begun formally consulting industry on transitioning air-traffic and enterprise systems to post-quantum cryptography.
Where cryptography hides in Aviation
E-Passport & Travel-Document PKI
E-passport and travel-document PKI (Doc 9303).
Aircraft Software Signing
Aircraft software and loadable-part signing.
Datalink & Messaging Security
Datalink and messaging security (ARINC 823 where deployed).
Ground & Enterprise PKI
Ground and enterprise PKI, TLS and VPNs.
Passenger & Booking Systems
Passenger-service, booking and PII systems.
Airport Operational Technology
Airport operational technology — access control, baggage and building systems.
How Quantum Sentinel helps
Enterprise CBOM
A living inventory spanning avionics software, ground PKI and passenger systems.
Cryptographic Exposure Score
Prioritise long-life avionics and identity trust chains.
Quantum Readiness Score
Bring evidence to safety and security certification.
Outcomes for aviation
- Inventory cryptography across IT, ground OT and identity systems in one place
- Prioritise long-life avionics and travel-document trust chains
- Bring cryptographic evidence to safety and security assurance
Plan a cryptographic transition that respects certification.
The first step is always the same: visibility. Request a demo and see your cryptographic exposure.