APS Aerospace

What APS Aerospace does

APS Aerospace Corp. is a privately held Canadian aviation safety company headquartered in Ottawa, Ontario, with a regional office in Hanover, Germany. Formally constituted in 2021 through the merger of AIRINC (Applied Informatics & Research Inc.) and Plane Sciences — two predecessor organizations that had been collaborating for over a decade — APS traces its technical lineage to the 1986 creation of the world's first interactive 3D flight animation with the Transportation Safety Board of Canada, the genesis of the RAPS (Recovery, Analysis and Presentation System) platform. The company is founder-led (Mike Poole, CEO; Steve Roberts, COO; Bob Hoyle, CRO; J.S. Theriault, CTO) and serves three principal customer verticals: civil and military aviation investigation authorities (governmental safety boards such as TSB/C, the U.S. NTSB, France's BEA, Germany's BFU, and Australia's ATSB), commercial airlines and operators needing Flight Data Monitoring (FDM/FOQA), and aircraft OEMs (Airbus, Boeing).

The company's product portfolio is anchored by the Lumina software suite — a web/browser-based flight data analytics platform comprising lumina|fda (parametric analytics and configurable dashboards with retrospective querying that does not require reprocessing), lumina|2d (engineering plot and list tool with a robust unit conversion engine and extensive datamap library), and lumina|3d (3D flight animation integrated with Cesium Geobrowser and X-Plane). For accident investigation authorities, APS offers MARS (Memory Access Retrieval System), a chip-level data recovery capability for severely damaged FDR/CVR memory boards, plus turnkey custom flight recorder lab design and installation. Services include Transport Canada AMO 42-13-certified FDR/CVR/DLR regulatory readouts (5-business-day standard turnaround, accepted by FAA, UK CAA, and EASA), billed SME (Subject-Matter-Expert) consulting days for complex events and safety briefings, and a self-serve hosted SaaS portal for Lumina|fda. Marketing and customer acquisition are led by VP Sales Michael Krebs through enterprise field sales plus industry events (ISASI, ISASI-related forums), white papers, and an annual Future of Flight Data Analysis workshop. The company has 11–50 employees, was awarded NRC IRAP R&D subsidies to develop the C-CAST national flight data warehouse for Canadian operators, and on 2025-01-14 acquired ACR Group, expanding its scope into aviation safety electronics, flight data hardware, and satellite communications and tracking.

Name

APS Aerospace

Legal name

APS Aerospace Corporation

Website

https://apscorp.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

APS Aerospace is a Canadian aviation safety company that develops the Lumina software suite and MARS chip-level data recovery technology for flight data analysis, FDR/CVR readouts, and accident investigation, serving aviation authorities, airlines, and aircraft OEMs worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Aviation Safety Software

NAICS

Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing (334511)

SIC

Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812)

akta.pro primary industry

Avionics Software, Certification & Safety-Critical Systems (DO-178/DO-254) (IMABAFAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Aircraft Inspection, Quality Assurance & Airworthiness (IA Prep) (EDAOAFAE), Avionics Test, Simulation & Calibration Equipment (IMABAFAN)

Keywords

• Flight data analysis
• FDR CVR readout
• Aviation accident investigation
• Flight data monitoring
• Flight operational quality assurance

Headquarters

HQ city

Ottawa

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Software Licensing (lumina FDA Suite): Subscription or perpetual licensing of the lumina|fda, lumina|2d, and lumina|3d software suite for flight data analysis. Includes optional fuel efficiency (E3) module.
2. Professional Services - Regulatory Readouts: Annual FDR/CVR/DLR maintenance readouts and return-to-service performed under Transport Canada AMO 42-13 certification. Includes correlation checks, intelligibility analysis, ULB testing, and spectral analysis.
3. Custom Lab Solutions (Flight Recorder Labs): Turnkey solutions for accident investigation authorities, from case-by-case assistance to full custom lab design, installation, training, and ongoing support.
4. SME Days (Subject-Matter-Expert Services): Billed consulting days for complex event definitions, flight animations, safety briefings, investigation assistance, and hardware/software guidance. Billed in 15-minute intervals with unused days rolling over.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

APS Aerospace develops and sells the Lumina flight data analysis (FDA) software suite — including lumina|fda for parametric analytics, lumina|2d for plot/list engineering analysis, and lumina|3d for flight animation — and the MARS (Memory Access Retrieval System) for chip-level data recovery from damaged flight recorders. The company complements these software products with regulatory FDR/CVR/DLR readout services under Transport Canada AMO 42-13 certification, accident investigation support, custom flight recorder lab design and installation, and billable Subject-Matter-Expert (SME) consulting days for aviation authorities, airlines, and aircraft OEMs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Lumina: Flight data analysis software suite including lumina|fda (flight data analytics), lumina|2d (plot/list system), lumina|3d (flight animation), and lumina|E3 (fuel efficiency module)
• MARS
• C-CAST
• SME Days
• APS Europe

Products and services

• lumina|fda Web-based flight data analytics platform for aviation operators and authorities, providing parametric-level querying, real-time configurable dashboards, auto-validation, automated data transfer, and retrospective analysis without data reprocessing. Targets airlines and aviation safety organizations running FDM/FOQA and accident investigation programs.
• lumina|2d Core plot and list engineering analysis tool with a robust units conversion engine, datamap library, and single-flight deep-dive analysis capability. Used by accident investigators, OEMs, and airlines for engineering-grade flight data analysis.
• lumina|3d Flight animation system that uses Cesium Geobrowser (web-based) and X-Plane Simulator for high-fidelity 3D world views, enabling secure web distribution of interactive plots and animations without downloadable files. Used for pilot debriefing, accident investigation, and legal proceedings.
• lumina|E3 Fuel Efficiency Module Fuel and economic analysis module for the Lumina suite that identifies inefficiencies in aircraft and fleet performance, supports EU Emissions Monitoring compliance, validates flight plans, and performs arrest system analysis. Targets airlines and operators seeking operational efficiency gains.
• MARS (Memory Access Retrieval System) Direct Memory Access Retrieval System that reads flight recorder memory at the chip level, producing files for each individual chip without requiring a Golden Chassis or OEM interfaces. Enables data recovery from severely crash-damaged recorders and supports the company's exclusive bit-level editing capability. Sold to and used by aviation accident investigation authorities worldwide.
• FDR/CVR/DLR Readout Services Annual FDR/CVR/DLR maintenance readouts and return-to-service performed under Transport Canada AMO 42-13 certification, including correlation checks, intelligibility analysis, ULB testing, and spectral analysis, with a 5-business-day standard turnaround (24-48 hours for AOG). Delivered from Canadian and European offices for airlines and aircraft operators globally.
• Accident Investigation Services Turnkey solutions for accident investigation authorities, ranging from case-by-case investigation assistance to full custom flight recorder lab design, installation, training, and ongoing support. Sold to civil and military aviation investigation authorities globally.
• SME Days (Subject-Matter-Expert Consulting) Billed consulting days for complex event definitions, flight animations, safety briefings, investigation assistance, and hardware/software guidance. Available to aviation operators, authorities, and OEMs using the Lumina suite or engaging APS for ad hoc expert support.
• C-CAST (Collaborative Aviation Safety Exchange System) National flight data warehouse developed by APS for Canadian airline operators, enabling collaborative flight data analysis within common ownership or oversight groups via the Launch CASES Group. Sold as a collaborative safety analytics platform to airline operators.

Quantifiable outcome

• Data recovery from severely damaged flight recorders where OEM tools fail
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• C-CAST (Collaborative Aviation Safety Exchange System)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLaunch CASES Group formed as direct result of NRC IRAP R&D project, enabling Canadian airline operators to collaborate on flight data analysis within common ownership/oversight groups. APS developed the underlying technology.
• Flight Safety FoundationminorOthersAPS is a member of the Flight Safety Foundation, a global nonprofit organization dedicated to aviation safety.
• Eurocae (European Organisation for Civil Aviation Equipment)minorOthersAPS is a member of Eurocae, contributing to the development of European civil aviation equipment standards.
• ATAC (Aviation Trade Association of Canada)minorOthersAPS is a member of ATAC, the trade association for Canada's aviation industry.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• L3Harris Technologies: L3Harris (formerly L3 Technologies) is a leading manufacturer of flight data and cockpit voice recorders through its Aviation Products segment, with deep relationships across military, commercial, and business aviation. It competes with APS in the FDR/CVR hardware and readout ecosystem as a much larger incumbent.
• Safran Electronics & Defense: Safran, through its Sagem and other avionics units, produces flight data and cockpit recording equipment plus associated analysis tools for commercial and military aviation. As a large European aerospace incumbent, it competes in the same FDR/CVR and flight data analysis space as APS, especially in EASA jurisdictions.
• Honeywell Aerospace: Honeywell produces avionics, flight management systems, and flight data analysis tools (e.g., Honeywell Flight Data Analysis services) used by major airlines and OEMs. While much broader in scope, it is a comparable provider of enterprise-grade FDA/FOQA platforms serving APS's airline and OEM target customers.
• Lufthansa Technik: Lufthansa Technik provides aircraft MRO services including FDR/CVR readout and flight data analysis for a large base of European and global airlines. Its COMPAS+ and other flight data services are functionally comparable to APS's AMO readouts and lumina FDA offerings, particularly in the EASA regulatory sphere.
• Curtiss-Wright Corporation: Curtiss-Wright's Defense Solutions segment manufactures flight data recorders (FDR/CVR) and supporting analysis tools used by aviation OEMs, defense agencies, and commercial operators. As a much larger aerospace incumbent with broad product portfolios, it overlaps with APS's MARS recovery and lumina analysis capabilities from the hardware side.

Direct peers

• CAE Inc. CAE acquired APS's predecessor Flightscape in 2007 to bridge accident investigation and pilot training, and operated the Insight FDA product line until 2017 when it novated customers back to Plane Sciences. CAE remains a direct peer in flight simulation, pilot training analytics, and integrated flight data workflows for airlines and OEMs.
• Universal Avionics Systems Corporation: Universal Avionics, a subsidiary of Elbit Systems, supplies flight management systems, datalink, and flight data analysis tooling for business aviation, airlines, and special mission operators. It overlaps with APS in the FOQA/FDA analytics layer and serves comparable cockpit-data customers.
• Teledyne Technologies (Teledyne Controls): Teledyne Controls provides flight data acquisition, monitoring, and analysis systems for commercial airlines, including the FDR/CVR readout and FOQA services that directly overlap with APS's lumina FDA suite. Two APS founders (Roberts and Theriault) previously led Teledyne's flight data systems division, making this a direct historical and operational peer.

Others

• Flight Safety Foundation: A global non-profit aviation safety organization of which APS is a member. FSF is an ecosystem participant rather than a competitor, but its publications, training programs, and global safety initiatives shape the demand environment for APS's accident investigation and FOQA products.

Emerging players

• Avionica: Avionica specializes in airborne data acquisition, quick-access recorders (QARs), and wireless data transfer for airline FDM programs — directly adjacent to APS's lumina|fda and datamap analytics capabilities, with a narrower focus on data capture hardware rather than full accident-investigation tooling.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ApsAerospace
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aviation-production-support-inc-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about APS Aerospace