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“At Air India we are constantly looking
for innovative ways to bring our passengers new
levels of safety and comfort when they fly with
us,” said A. K Mathew, executive director
of engineering, Air India. “As we expand
our network our pilots are required to fly into
an ever-growing number of airports, many of which
are continually changing in terms of layout. SmartRunway/SmartLanding
could make it easier for our pilots to navigate
these airports regardless of visibility, and extend
passenger safety even further in the process.”
Honeywell’s SmartRunway/SmartLanding system
uses GPS location information and airport and
object data stored in Honeywell’s Enhanced
Ground Proximity Warning (EGPWS) Database to determine
if the aircraft is configured properly for landing,
taxiing and take-off. This can dramatically reduce
runway incursions, where collisions occur on the
runway, or runway excursions, where aircraft accidentally
leave the runway or enter a runway they are not
approved for.
Under the terms of the agreement, Air India
will trial SmartRunway/SmartLanding for six months
and share operational data with Honeywell to enable
the two companies to examine the potential safety
gains the airline would see if it deployed the
software across its entire EGPWS-equipped B777
fleet. The software upgrade reduces crew workload
as pilots spend less time orientating themselves,
even in low visibility or at night. This is especially
crucial as airlines grow their networks, train
new pilots, ramp up traffic, and begin flying
to new or rapidly developing airports.
Nearly 2500 aircraft in service today already
use Honeywell SmartRunway and SmartLanding systems
(including those using Honeywell’s Runway
Awareness and Advisory System (RAAS) on which
SmartRunway is based) to help reduce the risk
of runway and landing incidents by monitoring
for over 20 potential hazards. SmartLanding, which
is primarily concerned with mitigating runway
excursions, monitors for potentially unstable
approaches, including if the aircraft is flying
too high, too fast, has incorrect flap settings,
long landings and accidental taxiway landings.
SmartRunway mitigates runway incursions. It informs
pilots which runway they are entering, confirms
runway length, monitors for insufficient length
remaining and can also perform flap checks to
ensure proper aircraft configuration prior to
take-off. Both support “heads-up” and
“quiet cockpit” through aural and visual
warnings.
“Air India is looking for new ways to
maximize the safety of its passengers by taking
advantage of the safety systems its fleet already
has in place,” said Pritam Bhavnani, President
Honeywell Aerospace India. “Because SmartRunway/SmartLanding
is a software upgrade, airlines can cost-effectively
add new functionality to their EGPWS with no additional
weight and minimal aircraft downtime and in doing
so make operations safer -- even at new, unfamiliar
airports and in low visibility.”
Both SmartRunway and SmartLanding are available
for commercial and business aviation platforms
currently equipped with Honeywell’s EGPWS.
Honeywell will be is showcasing a range of its
technologies at India Aviation 2014 in Hyderabad,March
12–15, at stand 19 in Hall A.
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