Southwest Airlines To Equip Entire Boeing 737 Fleet With Honeywell's Runway Safety Technology

Honeywell HON on Monday announced that Southwest Airlines LUV is in the process of activating its entire Boeing Co BA Boeing 737 aircraft fleet with Honeywell’s SmartRunway and SmartLanding software designed to increase runway safety.

This capability is enabled via the Honeywell Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System (EGPWS) already on Southwest aircraft, and more than 700 aircraft have been activated to date.

SmartRunway and SmartLanding use aural and visual alerts to increase flight crew situational awareness during taxi, takeoff, and landing and promote stabilized approaches.

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SmartRunway and SmartLanding are certified for most Airbus and Boeing aircraft and numerous business aviation platforms. 

Honeywell also announced it is currently testing its next-generation runway safety technology, Surface Alerts (SURF-A), with an expected certification for commercial aircraft in 2026, pending regulatory approval.

The company said in a press release that this agreement furthers Honeywell’s long-standing partnership with Southwest, the world’s largest 737 platform operator.

In 2015, Southwest selected Honeywell flight-deck systems for its 240-unit order of 737 MAX airliners, adding to its 737 Next Generation models flying with Honeywell cockpit avionics. 

Southwest was also the first airline to incorporate Honeywell’s Integrated Multi-Mode Receiver technology into its fleet.

Shifting focus to international aviation, a recent crash in India has brought safety regulations to the forefront of industry discussions.

India’s aviation ministry is reportedly considering temporarily grounding the country’s Boeing 787-8 fleet following a catastrophic Air India crash that killed over 240 people near Ahmedabad.

The fatal incident occurred when Air India flight AI171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner bound for London, crashed moments after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport.

Air India operates 34 Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners, the largest domestic fleet of this type of aircraft. The airline could be scrutinized over its maintenance practices.

Price Actions: HON stock is trading lower by 0.04% to $224.29 premarket at last check Monday. LUV is down 0.06%, and BA is up 0.04%.

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