Malaysia Airlines has entered into a partnership with Thales to install avionics equipment on board 20 of its Airbus A330neo aircraft.
20 Airbus A330neo aircraft in Malaysia Airlines’ fleet will be fitted with Thales’ Flight Management System (FMS) and ACSS’ Traffic Collision Avoidance Systems (T3CAS®). The optimal pairing of these systems brings innovative and advanced solutions for Malaysia Airlines to navigate challenging flight routes and terrains while ensuring the safety of their passengers. This contract marks the first selection of Thales’ Flight Management and Surveillance systems for Malaysia Airlines – the national carrier of Malaysia.
The selected equipment includes Thales’ signature avionics equipment – the Flight Management System (FMS) and ACSS’ Traffic Collision Avoidance Systems (T3CAS). The Thales FMS includes powerful hardware and the latest certified Airbus Release 1A software. It has unmatched reactivity and unique features for flight crew, such as a secondary flight plan, realistic navigation trajectory computations, and FMS Landing System capabilities (FLS). To date, 7,000 aircraft are equipped with Thales’ FMS.
ACSS’ T3CAS, the first ADS-B Out DO-260B compliant transponder on the market, combines communication and surveillance into a single small, lightweight system for advanced safety. The T3CAS enhances the pilot’s situational awareness using precise, real-time in-flight data of surrounding aircraft. It implements Airbus’ Airborne Traffic Situational Awareness (ADS-B In ATSAW) functionality and the Terrain Avoidance Warning System (TAWS) function featuring a full Low RNP of 0.1 nautical miles, which meets RNP-AR requirements and allows aircraft to navigate better at airports surrounded by challenging mountainous terrain. The T3CAS holds a strong surveillance market share.
The avionics equipment will be installed and maintained from Thales’ Aviation Global Services (AGS) centre in Singapore. The avionics expertise in Singapore dates back 50 years to 1973 when the facility started supporting the expansion of Airbus in Asia.
“We are honored that Malaysia Airlines, the national carrier of Malaysia, has selected Thales for the first time as their preferred partner for avionics solutions. Our expertise in helping airlines optimize their fleets with high-technology solutions developed by Thales or jointly with our partners makes us a leading centre for airline services in Asia. We look forward to strengthening our partnership and helping Malaysia Airlines deliver a great experience for their customers.” Francois PIOLET, General Manager APAC, Aviation Global Services.
“Thales has been supporting the needs of Malaysian customers for over 40 years and we appreciate the trust that Malaysia Airlines now places in our industry-leading avionics solutions. We were proud to provide inflight entertainment systems on their A380 fleet in earlier years and we look forward to future collaboration with the aviation sector now in full recovery.” Francois-Xavier BOUTES, Country Director, Thales in Malaysia.
“We are delighted to induct our first A330neo in Q3 2024, delivering an enhanced level of comfort and innovation to our passengers. The integration of Thales’ advanced systems and technology into this new aircraft type will provide our crew with the essential tools to perform their duties with heightened precision, prioritising the safety of our customers and crew in all our operations.” Captain Nasaruddin A. Bakar, Chief Operating Officer of Malaysia Airlines.
