Honeywell improves aircraft safety with new ground-based augmentation system capabilities

Business

Honeywell improves aircraft safety with new ground-based augmentation system capabilities

Honeywell Aerospace (NYSE: HON) revealed the accessibility of the 3rd software application generation of its SmartPath Ground-Based Augmentation System following certification by the Federal Aviation Administration. The brand-new software upgrades additionally boost precise satellite-guided flight navigation that can increase airport storage capacity while enhancing the security and fuel performance of airplane throughout approach, landing and take-off.

Global airline companies, airports and air navigation service providers will take advantage of the newest features of SmartPath Ground-Based Augmentation System (GBAS), which since 2009 has been the only FAA-certified option of its kind. The software application updates (described as Block II) will allow airline companies and airports to accomplish more take advantage of Honeywell's SmartPath by enhancing the availability of the system even where GPS signals are adversely affected by special weather, mainly at low latitudes.

This software version lets users configure the system to enhance its availability based on their distinct environment, anywhere on the globe. It likewise offers air traffic controllers an enhanced variety of techniques to the airport, from 26 to 48 per station, boosting their flexibility to maximize airport performance and get travelers to their destinations much safer and quicker. "Embracing digital navigation technologies such as GBAS is a priority for airports and airlines as passenger and freight operations rise, increasing the strain on air traffic management systems," said Mike Underwood, director of operation development at Honeywell Aerospace. "With the most current software updates, customers can much better alleviate weather-related delays when approaching the runway, allowing for a safer and more efficient technique and landing.". In addition to the Block II software update, Honeywell's SmartPath GBAS will likewise feature an optional Block II-S upgrade, which integrates another form of GPS augmentation, called Satellite-Based Augmentation Systems (SBAS). Block II-S takes benefit of the SBAS' regional view to mitigate GPS mistakes not noticeable at the airport level, improving the efficiency of GBAS. In addition to supporting functional improvements such as extending service volumes and additional enhancing accessibility, the Block II-S upgrade is anticipated to support specifically authorized Category II operations, without the requirement for any modifications to Category I devices on the airplane. Block II is a software-only update and Block II-S is a simple hardware update to add an SBAS-capable GPS receiver and antenna to the system.

A pioneer in GBAS innovation, Honeywell SmartPath is the only GBAS to be licensed by the FAA, and has actually been set up at more than 15 airports around the world, consisting of Chennai, Frankfurt, Houston, Newark, Shanghai and Sydney. Honeywell's experience deploying GBAS has led the way for many technical enhancements to offer the market's greatest availability while also applying lessons gained from previous executions to minimize programmatic risk. This significantly reduces the cost to air navigation service providers associated with executing GBAS. These upgrades will be offered to new and existing customers in Q4 2015.

Honeywell's SmartPath will also be enhanced by Honeywell's latest Integrated Multi-Mode Receiver (IMMR) navigation receiver, the industry's only all-digital navigation radio that incorporates multiple navigation functions into a single receiver. IMMR minimizes size and weight approximately 50 percent compared with present options. It is developed with future development in mind and will support safe and successful GBAS Category II and III techniques and landings that make it possible for pilots to fly and land airplane in bad climate condition and low presence.