Honeywell (NASDAQ: HON) today announced that Southwest Airlines (NASDAQ: LUV) is in the process of activating its entire Boeing 737 aircraft fleet with 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 helps increase flight crew situational awareness during taxi, take-off and landing with aural and visual alerts and promotes stabilized approaches. It proactively notifies pilots when they are moving too fast, fly too high or are directed toward the wrong runway, helping to break the chain of events that may lead to runway accidents. SmartRunway and SmartLanding is certified for most Airbus and Boeing aircraft, as well as numerous business aviation platforms.
“Today’s pilots face increasing challenges including unpredictable weather and dense traffic in limited airspace, forcing them to make split-second decisions during takeoff and landing. Fortunately, as the challenges evolve, so does the technology that provides the information they need in real time,” said Jim Currier, president and CEO of Honeywell Aerospace Technologies. “Southwest is continuing to put pilots and passengers first by investing in SmartRunway and SmartLanding software across its fleet.”
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Download free sample pages More informationHoneywell’s next-generation runway safety technology, Surface Alerts (SURF-A), is now being tested and is expected to be certified on commercial air transport aircraft in 2026 pending regulatory approvals. SURF-A is a groundbreaking cockpit alerting software that uses GPS data, Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast equipment and advanced analytics to provide pilots with direct aural and visual alerts of potential runway traffic. Like SmartRunway and SmartLanding, SURF-A is enabled via Honeywell’s EGPWS.
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 existing fleet of 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.
"Safety is at the heart of everything we do at Southwest," said Andrew Watterson, chief operating officer at Southwest Airlines. "Honeywell's SmartRunway and SmartLanding software will provide our pilots with enhanced situational awareness to ensure the highest level of safety while operating on runways throughout the network."
