Honeywell Signs $1 Billion Deal With AirTran for Avionics, Maintenance

Phoenix.- Honeywell (NYSE: HON) announced today that it has signed a $1 billion contract with AirTran Airways to supply avionics on new aircraft and provide maintenance on AirTran’s entire fleet through the year 2030.

Under the agreement, Honeywell will supply AirTran with the full Honeywell avionics portfolio for new aircraft – up to 150 Boeing 737s. In addition, Honeywell will provide maintenance services for all Honeywell equipment on AirTran’s entire fleet – up to 250 aircraft – including avionics, lighting, mechanical components, Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) and wheels and brakes.

“Honeywell’s extended agreement will help AirTran monitor and reduce their maintenance costs and continue to advance their very competitive industry position,” said Mike Madsen, Honeywell Vice President of Airlines. “As the original equipment manufacturer, we are able to provide a comprehensive maintenance program with strong technical support and rapid turn-times, all of which enable AirTran to significantly reduce their investment in spares and spend more time flying. By combining all the Honeywell components into one agreement, we simplify AirTran’s supply base management activities and improve efficiency for both our teams.”

“AirTran’s partnership with Honeywell has been and will continue to be a win-win for AirTran and its customers,” said Steve Kolski, AirTran Senior Vice President of Operations. “AirTran wins because it provides for predicable and competitive costs, high quality MRO, and minimal investment in inventory. AirTran’s customers win because it enables AirTran to offer low fares and remain a low fare leader.”

The selected Honeywell avionics systems for AirTran’s 737 aircraft include Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System (EGPWS), Airborne Collision Avoidance System (ACAS II), Weather Radar with Forward-Looking Windshear Detection, solid state Flight Data Recorder (FDR) & Cockpit Voice Recorders (CVR), Quantum™ Line Communications & Navigation System (CNS), Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System (ACARS) and The Flight Data Acquisition & Management System (FDAMS).

EGPWS, invented by Honeywell, provides a terrain display and alerts the flight crew if the aircraft approaches too close to terrain. Honeywell’s patented ACAS (aka TCAS - Traffic Collision Avoidance System) provides a display of surrounding aircraft and alerts the flight crew if another aircraft comes too close for safety. Honeywell’s radar provides essential weather detection up to 320 nautical miles, turbulence detection up to 40 nautical miles, and forward-looking windshear detection up to 5 nautical miles. FDR & CVR recorders record flight data parameters and cockpit voice conversation for analysis. CNS enables cockpit crew to interact with ground stations such as Air Traffic Controller. ACARS is the air-ground data link necessary for global communication of vital information.

AirTran, headquartered in Orlando, Fla., offers more than 700 flights to more than 55 U.S. destinations.