Q:How is business at Honeywell going?
A:Business is very strong at the moment due to the upturn in overall air transport business. We just have to make sure we can keep up with customer requirements. It's better than being on the down side.
Q:What is the thrust of your presence at Asian Aerospace?
A:We'll be announcing a couple of things. We have a new satcom [satellite communications] product, the MCS-7000. This is a seven-channel system providing both Aero-I and Aero-H service. Canadian Marconi is our partner in the programme, providing the antenna. We will certificate the system on our Citation III in the April/May timeframe.[Aero-I is a new communications service from Inmarsat which uses the spot-beam capability of the new Inmarsat 3 satellites.]
Q:What markets are you aiming for?
A:Aero-I brings the ability to lower the cost per call. Also, we can move satcoms down to smaller, standard-body aircraft. The system is already on the market.
We will certificate Aero-I in June on the [Boeing] 737. We have customers already, including Air Berlin and Royal Air Maroc. Long-haul customers will still use full Aero-H, but now we can offer either as well as hybrid Aero-H/I solutions.
Q:What is the other product you're introducing here?
A:Our Pegasus flight management system [FMS], which is part of our Worldnav thrust. This is a new FMS which will be certificated during the show time frame on the [Boeing] 757, and soon after on the [Boeing] MD-90. It's our platform for the future CNS/ATM [communications, navigation, surveillance/air traffic management] system and is FANS-A compliant. We will announce some major customers at the show.
The Pegasus is the basic future of our FMS product; the 757 and MD-90 are just the first of a whole series of Pegasus applications.
Q:Could you describe Worldnav?
A:This is our umbrella strategy for addressing CNS/ATM. We've always been strong in navigation and flight management, but we've never played a major role in communications, except satcom. Our future product strategy is to build around our strengths and add to them communications management. There are also huge retrofit possibilities for CNS/ATM, and that's not always been a focus. But it will be.
Q:You have always made good use of alliances. Will that change?
A:We will develop core capabilities, particularly in communications management. But we are very interested in alliance activities.
Q:How do you feel CNS/ATM is developing?
A:It's developing at the pace we expected, but we're concerned whether it will be maintained, particularly in the USA. There is concern about how the FAA will get funded and if they have the resources to move at the pace needed. The pressure for CNS/ATM outside the USA is strong. The question is, can the USA keep up?
Q:Any other news?
A:We will announce that FedEx has chosen our TCAS 2000. That will open up the cargo market. Internationally, there is a very good market for TCAS [traffic alert and collision avoidance system] opening up in Europe, and it's also very strong in China.
Q:Anything happening here in Singapore?
A:We are putting more capital equipment into our repair centre in Singapore - you're the first to know that. It's our regional centre supporting the airlines in the region. We also have service centres in Australia and Shanghai.
We have a very strong interest in China and we are trying to expand our business there.
Source: Flight Daily News
