Page 22 - AAA NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2014 Online Magazine

INTERVIEW HONEYWELL

Taking a Smart Path

It has been an exciting and tremendous year in China for Honeywell Aerospace By Jay Menon

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bRIAND GREER IS THE PRESIDENT OF Program with Inmarsat
Honeywell Aerospace Asia-Pacific. He GX Aviation, Honeywell’s latest
is responsible for all strategic growth programme with Inmarsat, will offer the
initiatives across the region. In a fastest global, most consistent wireless
freewheeling interview with Jay Menon of connectivity coverage for airlines and
Asian Airlines and Airports in Singapore passengers. “We are the exclusive
recently, Greer says: Honeywell’s long- suppliers to Inmarsat,” Greer says.
term investments in the Asian marketplace “It is anticipated that product
are paying off...Our operational goal is certifications will be achieved soon,
to grow two times the gross domestic followed by product introduction, which
product (GDP) wherever we are.” is expected during the first half of 2015,”
“If over 20 years back, 70 per cent of Greer says.
the growth came from developed nations Honeywell’s selection as the exclusive
for Honeywell, in the next two decades, provider of hardware for Inmarsat’s GX
70 per cent of revenue will come from Aviation will impact the company’s Asia-
developing countries,” Greer opines. Pacific customers beginning 2015, he adds.
Briand Greer, President, Honeywell
With COMAC Aerospace Asia-Pacific Long-term Plans
From joint ventures to supply systems Honeywell has built a strong long-term
to Commerical Aircraft Corporation focus in China, allowing it to work with
of China COMAC’s C919 airliner, and Greer says, adding that the company has some of China’s biggest aviation players,
highly successful trials and adoption begun testing Air China’s A330 fleet. such as COMAC, AVIC and the CAAC, he
of its SmartPath GBAS satellite-based “We have signed a memorandum of says.”We expect a steady growth in China,
airport landing systems, it has been an understanding with Air China to begin as the country is maturing.”
exciting and tremendous year in China for testing the GX Ka-band connectivity Honeywell aims at broadening the
Honeywell Aerospace, Greer says. solution on the airline’s A330 aircraft in degree of what it is doing in the region.
“We recently turned the lights on” the second quarter of 2015,” Greer says. “China will drive economic gains,” he says.
at Honeywell’s joint venture to supply Targeting both passenger aircraft and The U.S. company plans to invest
wheels and brakes for the C919 airliner, business jets, GX Aviation is the first truly US$2.8 billion over the next 20 years.
and the second joint venture, to provide global high-speed in-flight connectivity
fly-by-wire flight control systems for service that will provide data rates to the Key Supplier
the single-aisle aircraft is progressing... aircraft of up to 50Mbps. Using GX Aviation, In the last 100 years, Honeywell has helped
China has entered the final assembly passengers will be able to do everything to write aviation history with its innovation,
phase of building the large commercial from real-time social media updates and including advanced connectivity solutions,
aircraft and we expect the first flight of emails to live-streaming TV, all while in IntuVue 3-D weather radar and leading
the aircraft by end of 2015,” he informs. flight, and from virtually anywhere in the air traffic management (ATM) technology,
Honeywell has also been selected by world, over both land and sea. which includes SmartPath ground-
COMAC to supply 131-9(C(C) APU and “We are on track to bring a new level based augmentation system (GBAS),
associated equipment for the aircraft. of high-speed, in-fight connectivity to SmartRunway and SmartLanding.
“Our APU has proved to be highly consumers and airlines around the world,
reliable, fuel efficient, and quiet in the regardless of whether it is a domestic or IntuVue 3-D Weather Radar
millions of hours of in-flight service that international flight. In addition, we are The IntuVue 3-D Weather Radar comprise
it has recorded to date,” he says. actively working with several air transport 3-D display and analysis tools that
and business aviation manufacturers to provide pilots with critical and accurate
Onboard Wi-Fi provide GX Aviation and to enable a truly information, so they can make the most
Honeywell has also signed an agreement with connected aircraft from gate to gate and informed decisions when flying in extreme
Air China to expand on-board Wi-Fi services, from ground to over 40,000 feet,” Greer says weather. “This system is available as an
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