Utilization of GPS for takeoff, landing.
By Deepak Chitnis
WASHINGTON, DC: US-based technology firm Honeywell has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Air India and GoAir, two of India’s leading airliners, to implement its proprietary software that helps make air travel safer and mitigates the risk for accidents on the ground.
The technology in question is called SmartRunway/SmartLanding, a tool that uses Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) information and airport/runway data to help pilots better determine the best way to taxi, takeoff, and land commercial jet airplanes. The technology also helps monitor the other runways at an airport, and can better assess the proximity of planes to each other on the ground, thus reducing the potential for crashes or run-ins on airport tarmacs.
Air India is looking to utilize the technology on a trial-run basis, essentially leasing it for six months to see if there are any noticeable improvements and determine whether or not it should keep it for long-term use. Through the MoU, both companies will share operation data with each other and assess any positive changes found in Air India’s fleet of Boeing 777s. There are currently dozens of major airliners that use the SmartRunway/SmartLanding technology, and Honeywell is one of the leaders in aviation technology around the world.
GoAir’s agreement with Honeywell is in the area of fuel preservation and cutting back on energy expenditures. Honeywell will assist the airliner in monitoring its EGTS (Electric Green Taxiing System) system, which is what its planes use to taxi to and from the boarding gates and runways. In a statement, GoAir CEO Giorgio de Roni said that the company is always on the lookout for ways to cut costs, so the agreement with Honeywell simply made good business sense.
The Honeywell agreement comes on the heels of both IndiGo and GoAir announcing that they would join SITA, a multi-national aviation IT company that has around 450 members and about 90% of the world’s total airline business. The conglomerate essentially helps member airliners and airports improve their security infrastructures and increase operational efficiency, keeping productivity up and costs as low as possible.
By becoming a part of SITA, they join fellow Indian airliners Air India, SpiceJet, and Jet Airways, along with the major international airports in Bangalore, Cochin, and Mumbai.