Phoenix Systems and LICRIT announce partnership towards aviation certification of Phoenix-RTOS 178

We are proud to announce a strategic partnership between Phoenix Systems and LICRIT, alongside the ongoing qualification of Phoenix-RTOS 178 for use in aviation systems. Partnering with LICRIT as the certification partner allows us to combine our Real Time Operation System engineering excellence with aerospace certification expertise, establishing the core foundations for realization of the Phoenix Systems’ vision to bring new European-based RTOS for mission-critical applications.

Phoenix RTOS is a scalable, open-source, POSIX-compliant, real-time operating system originally designed for IoT devices and other resource-constrained applications. Our DO-178C certifiable version of the Phoenix-RTOS operating system will be suitable for the aviation systems up to Design Assurance Level (DAL) B with ARINC 653 partitioning support. Pre-certified version Phoenix-RTOS 178 with DO-178C DAL B Certification Data Package will be commercially available as RTOS COTS solution.

As a first step, the current qualification effort focuses on the Phoenix-RTOS Microkernel, establishing a core and reusable foundation for future qualification of additional RTOS components. The qualification activities are being conducted in alignment with DO-178C objectives for DAL B systems certification expectations, with a clear roadmap toward broader reuse in aviation systems.

Phoenix Systems is actively adopting DO-178C–aligned development and verification processes as part of this program. Through the ongoing qualification effort, Phoenix Systems is expanding its organizational knowledge and capability in aviation certification and assurance, strengthening its ability to support safety-critical customers. LICRIT acts as the DO-178C certification and qualification partner, responsible for defining the qualification strategy, aligning activities with DO-178C objectives, performing gap analyses, developing the certification data, and guiding the creation of compliant lifecycle and assurance artifacts. This cooperation ensures that technical excellence is combined with a structured, regulator-ready qualification approach.

Executive perspectives
Kaja Swat, Vice-President & COO, Phoenix Systems:
This partnership with LICRIT is a key step in realizing our vision of Phoenix-RTOS 178 as a European-based RTOS for mission-critical applications. While Phoenix Systems continues to provide deep RTOS engineering expertise, working with LICRIT allows us to systematically adopt DO-178C-aligned processes and build the organizational capability required for aviation certification. Phoenix-RTOS 178 development is aligned with the company roadmap to develop Phoenix-PILOT for UAV systems, to support our aviation customers, and to expand the Phoenix-RTOS to Space and industrial safety-critical systems.
Lukáš Macisak, CEO, LICRIT:
LICRIT’s role as the DO-178C certification and qualification partner ensures that Phoenix-RTOS 178 is developed with a clear, regulator-ready qualification strategy from the outset. This collaboration gains from great synergy between both companies and it aligns directly with our long-term business development toward becoming a turnkey certification provider and long-term certification partner, delivering end-to-end support – from the planning, certification data package development to successful product certification.