United Airlines has selected Honeywell Aerospace Technologies to provide a range of avionics for 737 Max jets slated to enter service over the next decade. The new cockpit equipment includes advancements such as the industry's only 3D weather radar, new 25-hour flight data recorders, and advanced traffic avoidance systems.
United first chose a similar suite of Honeywell avionics in 2018 to equip 161 of its 737 Max aircraft. Honeywell said the latest agreement builds on its reliability in delivering world-class aerospace technology.
"We are proud to continue our long-standing relationship with United Airlines to provide advanced avionics for its growing 737 Max fleet," said Heath Patrick, president of Honeywell Aerospace's Americas aftermarket division. "Our technology reduces pilot workload, improves situational awareness, and supports dispatch reliability."
The IntuVue RDR-4000 3D Weather Radar System is the first automatic commercial radar to accurately depict weather in the flight path of an airplane, according to Honeywell. “IntuVue automatically scans the sky at 17 tilt angles—the most in the industry—and delivers a 3D view of the weather through an intuitive display that pilots can quickly and easily reference,” the company said.
Honeywell Connected Recorder-25 allows commercial air transport aircraft to accommodate mandatory flight data and cockpit voice recording requirements. It could potentially result in better maintenance predictability and operational insight through data analytics, the OEM said.
Honeywell’s TPA 100B Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System and TRA 100B Transponders identify the airplane to surrounding aircraft via an airborne collision avoidance system.
Meanwhile, in June, Honeywell demonstrated a new ground control station for eVTOL aircraft in an agreement with Frequentis, an Austrian supplier of communication and information systems for control centers. The ground control station allows remote piloting beyond the visual line of sight.