McMurdo Extends Reach into China with 1st Major Aviation Win

McMurdo, the most trusted name in Emergency Readiness and Response, today announced that it has secured a €2.2M contract with Harbin Aircraft Industry Group Co., Ltd. (HAIG), a subsidiary of Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC). The deal, over 10 years, will include the use of McMurdo’s Kannad Integra Emergency Location Transmitters in AVIC’s current line of AC312 helicopters and Y12 aircrafts.

“China is a rapidly growing aviation market, and this win firmly establishes a foundation for future success in China and in Asia as a whole,” said Christian Belleux, McMurdo Aviation and Military Business Unit Manager. “This is further validation of the benefits of Kannad Integra’s innovative dual-antenna and dual-GPS design which enables aircraft to be found much faster compared to standard ELTs in the event of an emergency. We, along with our local Chinese partner JR Tech, look forward to working closely with AVIC to ensure that the latest aviation technologies and innovations are included throughout their aircraft fleets both today and in the future.”

Traditional ELTs rely on an aircraft’s external antenna and GPS equipment, which are subject to failure in the event of an emergency. The Kannad Integra ELT, however, can operate independently of the aircraft to provide key positioning data through its built-in internal antenna and embedded GPS receiver. The Integra ARINC 429 Navigation Interface stores the latest known position of the aircraft based on the aircraft navigation system data. This data is then updated by the built-in Integra GPS for better location accuracy and a higher chance of rescue. Once activated, the Integra ELT transmits a distress signal to alert international rescue services to the emergency location via the global Cospas-Sarsat Search and Rescue satellite system which has helped to save over 37,000 lives since 1982.

The €2.2M deal is over 10 years.