Honeywell to boost connectivity, enhance customer experience

Dubai - Honeywell conducted a local passenger experience survey, revealing 97 per cent of UAE passengers surveyed are increasingly looking to technologies for a smarter and stress-free travel experience.

Dubai's tech-savvy aviation market is getting more demanding as customers expect more efficiency, sustainability, safety, development of airports and fleet growth and hence Dubai Airshow proved a very effective platform for addressing these areas, said Aileen McDowall, vice-president, Airline Business, EMEA and India, Honeywell Aerospace.
"Middle East and Africa is one of the most strategic partners and a very substantial contributor of the revenue of Honeywell Aerospace. By the end of 2015, air travel passengers will be able to seamlessly browse on their smartphones, tablet devices and laptops when on board an aircraft at the same speed and quality as they would expect at home or in the office. In-flight connectivity will not only enable passengers to stay productive virtually anywhere in the world whether they're on at land, at sea or up at 40,000 feet in the sky, but it will also bring safety and efficiency to aircraft operators by allowing them to rapidly collect and integrate data, ensuring smooth flight control and planning and more on-time arrivals," said McDowall.
At Dubai Airshow, Honeywell showcased its suite of JetWave satellite connectivity hardware, which exclusively supports Inmarsat's GX Aviation service and brings the passenger one step closer to the 'connected aircraft' experience they are seeking.
Honeywell conducted a local passenger experience survey, revealing 97 per cent of UAE passengers surveyed are increasingly looking to technologies for a smarter and stress-free travel experience. More specifically, passengers in the Middle East region believe Wi-Fi is an essential travel tool, with three-quarters of those polled (75 per cent) willing to substitute at least one in-flight extra such as pre-bookable seats or free in-flight meals for fast, reliable and free Wi-Fi when on board a flight.
Further research finds that the Middle East and Africa region will have the strongest mobile data traffic growth in the coming years when compared to other regions, including Europe and Latin America. As demand for connectivity continues to pick up significant pace in the region, companies such as Honeywell is helping to transform flight journeys to match a home or office-like experience. By introducing the latest connectivity products and services, airlines are able to meet ever-evolving air traveller needs to stay connected.
McDowall, said: "As the exclusive hardware partner, Honeywell is working with Inmarsat to deliver a global high-speed, in-flight connectivity service to passengers via the Global Xpress (GX) Aviation service, which is capable of delivering up to 50MB per second of broadband to the aircraft."
The company announced the availability of the third software generation of its SmartPath Ground-Based Augmentation System following certification by the Federal Aviation Administration. The new software upgrades further enhance precise satellite-guided flight navigation that can increase airport capacity while improving the safety and fuel efficiency of aircraft during approach, landing and take-off.
Global airlines, airports and air navigation service providers will benefit from the latest features of SmartPath Ground-Based Augmentation System (GBAS), which since 2009 has been the only FAA-certified solution of its kind.
"Embracing digital navigation technologies such as GBAS is a priority for airports and airlines as passenger and cargo operations rise, increasing the strain on air traffic management systems," said Mike Underwood, director of business development at Honeywell Aerospace. "
With the latest software updates, customers can better mitigate weather-related delays when approaching the runway, allowing for a safer and more efficient approach and landing."
- sandhya@khaleejtimes.com