Southwest Airways is rolling out new expertise in its Boeing 737 fleet. The objective? To make takeoffs and landings safer.
Southwest Airways is rolling out new expertise in its Boeing 737 fleet in hopes of constructing takeoffs and landings safer.
“Visitors doubles each 15 years…it’s actually seconds from catastrophe…We have now a really secure system, however we want new applied sciences to maintain that security degree,” defined Thea Feyereisen, Distinguished Technical Fellow with Honeywell Aerospace.
That’s why Feyereisen and her crew developed a brand new software program known as “SmartRunway SmartLanding,” which is designed to assist pilots reply quicker, smarter and safer on the tarmac.
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A simulated cockpit alert shows “Visitors on Runway,” displaying how the system warns pilots of potential hazards. (Honeywell / FOXBusiness)
To present an thought as to how this works — take into consideration the alert system that a whole lot of automobiles these days have, warning drivers in the event that they’re drifting too shut to a different automobile.
The software program does one thing comparable for pilots, warning them in the event that they’re about to line up on the flawed runway or are available in too excessive on the touchdown.
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“SmartRunway SmartLanding is known as a third set of eyes within the cockpit,” mentioned Feyereisen. “It is virtually as in case your co-pilot mentioned, ‘Hey, you are lined up with a taxiway as an alternative of a runway.'”
A view from the cockpit window of an plane positioned on the tarmac, prepared for runway security testing. (Honeywell / FOXBusiness)
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Southwest Airways has already put in the tech on greater than 700 of its Boeing 737 fleet.
“Security is on the coronary heart of every little thing we do at Southwest… Honeywell’s SmartRunway and SmartLanding software program will present our pilots with enhanced situational consciousness to make sure the best degree of security whereas working on runways all through the community,” the airline mentioned.
The airline was already rolling out the expertise when shut calls at U.S. airports made headlines earlier this yr.
In March, a Southwest flight in Florida tried to take off from a taxiway as an alternative of a runway. A month earlier than that, one other Southwest jet narrowly prevented a collision at Chicago Halfway.
The nostril of a Honeywell take a look at plane, typically used as a simulated impediment on the runway. (Honeywell / FOXBusiness)
“We need to be preventative moderately than reactive and that’s actually what Southwest is doing right here… they’re not ready till they’ve an enormous accident,” Feyereisen mentioned.
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Honeywell’s crew can be engaged on new software program dubbed Floor Alerts (SURF-A). It’s being examined and anticipated to be licensed on industrial air transport plane in 2026 pending regulatory approvals.
The software program makes use of GPS knowledge, Automated Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast gear and superior analytics to offer pilots direct audio and visible alerts of potential runway site visitors.