New flight mgmt system to offer real time data for alternative trajectories

Pilots may soon be able to access data and calculate alternative trajectories on a real time basis during flights, with a new and faster flight management system in the works.

An offering from French major Thales, the Flight Management System (FMS) is expected to be available for commercial use by 2024.

PureFlyt, an entirely connected FMS, will provide the "best combination of safety, security and operation efficiency", according to Thales.

"It (PureFlyt) is a big one because it is connecting open world to flight avionics. It is a big project not only in terms of R&D (Research & Development) but also in terms of what it brings to the industry," Thales Vice-President Flight Avionics Jean-Paul Ebanga told PTI here.

Thales, which has substantial presence in India, already has an FMS.

Ebanga said that connectivity would be the main difference between the current FMS and the new one.

"FMS is a closed equipment and tomorrow it will be able to fetch data from the outside world in a secure way... You can have real time data which can make your navigational application much more powerful," he noted.

The new FMS would be able to gather on-board and open-world data, including weather information and calculate alternative trajectories in real time, to propose or react quickly to changes of plan.

In the new system, real time weather forecast can be uploaded, which would help pilots to compute the best possible route. In 10-12 hour flights, it would be a significant advantage for the pilots, Ebanga said.

According to him, the company would also rely on its engineering centre in India for the project.

"PureFlyt will allow crews to make better decisions using more sources of information, will bring improved performance and reactivity to the aircraft during complex phases of flight," Thales said in a statement this week.

Ebanga said that PureFlyt would make flights safer, greener, easier for the pilots to manage and more profitable for airlines, he added.

For engineering development, Thales uses Indian engineering force and is investing in the country from that point of view, the company's Vice President Strategy (Avionic Global Business Unit) Christophe Wilhelm told PTI.

Among others, Thales provides avionics maintenance for IndiGo planes and navigational aids to the Airports Authority of India (AAI).