What have been your most recent and important product innovations for the airline sector?
 |
|
Sasi (Sunny) Kancharla
|
Innovating the global in-flight connectivity experience for airlines and consumers alike has been a priority for us. Last year, we signed an agreement with satellite provider Inmarsat to deliver in-flight connectivity services to business, commercial and government customers around the world. We are currently developing technologies, such as Honeywell’s high speed Ka-band connectivity solutions for Inmarsat’s forthcoming Global Xpress service expected in 2015, to support India’s future connectivity needs. Ka-band connectivity will give passengers unprecedented in-flight consistency and speed on all types of mobile devices including tablets, smartphones and laptops. It will allow consumers to do everything from real-time social media updates to video conferencing and multi-media presentation development virtually anywhere in the world, and with an experience similar to being at home or in the office.
Which are the most path-breaking green technologies you are developing for the airline industry?
The innovation, efficiency, financial and environmental savings that green technologies bring, will take the aviation industry into the next decade and beyond. One of our most recent innovations in this area is the new Electric Green Taxiing System (EGTS) which is coming out of a joint venture between Honeywell and Safran. EGTS will improve airline operating efficiency during taxiing, and cut fuel consumption by up to four per cent each flight cycle.
EGTS allows pilots to cut the engines while taxiing an aircraft with virtually no noise, thanks to an electric motor powering the aircraft’s under-wing wheels. An aircraft is able to push back autonomously, and then taxi between gate and runway without engaging the main engines by using the Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) generator to power electric motors in the main landing gear. Each of the wheels is fitted with a control system, giving pilots total control of the aircraft’s speed and direction during taxi operations. In addition to reduced fuel burn, the system will generate further savings by reducing engine and brake wear, and minimising the risk of damage to engine turbines from foreign objects on the tarmac. Once the EGTS taxing system makes its entry into service as a forward-fit for new aircraft in 2016, we estimate that fuel savings alone could be as high as US$ 200,000 per aircraft per year for airlines.
 |
Some information about your R&D facilities in India.
Our Honeywell Technology Solutions (HTS) Lab in India has been in operation for over 16 years, and with more than 200 patents and 2000+ disclosures, a significant portion of the global division’s research, design and analytics/engineering work happens at the Bangalore facility. Currently, our engineers are working on the latest next-generation avionics, navigation and safety systems, and mechanical products for Indian and global initiatives.
Aside from this, we have nearly 100 manufacturing, engineering and service sites worldwide that offer OEM – quality product engineering expertise. We also have global field service engineering teams strategically deployed to assist our airline customers with any technical support required during line maintenance and troubleshooting.
What kind of tie-ups do you have with airlines for product development?
At the 2013 Paris Air Show, and in partnership with Safran, we announced our EGTS to include Air France. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will enable Air France to analyse the potential technical, operational and financial benefits of EGTS taxiing system. In turn, Air France will provide valuable assistance by refining estimated savings of the system and quantifying other operational benefits. Air France’s aircraft utilise a number of heavily used airports, and the EGTS taxiing system can provide a decisive economic advantage at these airports, while also reducing emissions and noise in the terminal environment. From early analysis, Air France expects to save the equivalent of several per cent fuel burn per cycle based on its current operations, for its fleet of 120 plus short and medium range aircraft.
Further, Emirates and Honeywell joined forces in the development, testing and certification of two new safety solutions, SmartLanding and SmartRunway. Both are simple software upgrades to Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System (EGPWS) and SmartRunway is the next generation of Honeywell’s runway awareness and advisory system (RAAS). SmartLanding and SmartRunway are now in use across Emirates’ fleets of Airbus 330, A340 and Boeing 777 aircraft.
|
The benefits of single engine taxi operations
|
 |
Which are the new age solutions you have introduced in the industry for passenger safety and convenience?
From the runway to the sky, Honeywell is committed to delivering cutting edge technology that ensures the safety and security of passengers at all times. During flights, Honeywell’s IntuVue system enhances awareness during bad weather for pilots by using 3-D volumetric scanning and pulse compression technologies to create a data repository on the weather. Pilots frequently encounter adverse weather and this technology helps the pilot safeguard passengers.
For runway safety, our SmartRunway system improves situational awareness on the taxiway and runway by providing timely aural advisories and graphical alerts to the flight crew advising them of their position during taxi, take off, final approach, landing and rollout. Also, Honeywell’s SmartLanding technology is designed to help reduce the risk of a runway excursion by providing timely alerts to crew members when the aircraft is approaching the runway too high, too fast or is not configured properly – common components of an unstable approach.
SmartRunway and SmartLanding both rely on an EGPWS, which serves as an independent monitor of an aircraft’s position relative to surrounding terrain to prevent potential conflicts. With these technologies, Honeywell is well-equipped to offer world-class solutions to provide the highest level of safety for consumers while travelling.
