Honeywell has been selected by Omni Air Taxi (Omni), an operator of Leonardo AW139 helicopters in South America, to gradually upgrade its fleet of 31 AW139s with Honeywell’s IntuVue RDR-7000 Weather Radar System.
Upgraded weather radar system
The RDR-7000 is a fully automated advanced flight technology that enables pilots to assess weather in advance to help enable a safer flight trajectory. The radar system upgrade is expected to enhance navigational capabilities for Omni’s fleet while also reducing pilot workload. It will also help Omni decrease maintenance and operational costs, while increasing helicopter availability because it offers higher reliability than legacy radars.
The RDR-7000 is has been engineered to provide superior reliability, accuracy and durability than legacy magnetron-based radar systems. It offers helicopter and business jet customers the flexibility to remotely enable advanced software features to provide them with the clearest view of weather conditions around common routes. The advanced flight technology also supports Honeywell’s alignment of its portfolio to three compelling megatrends, including the future of aviation and automation.
Improved weather visibility
“Any gaps in helicopter availability can negatively impact operations,” said José Vinicius Martins, regional sales manager at Honeywell Aerospace Technologies. “By reducing delays and downtime caused by weather incidents and wind shear, the integration of Honeywell’s reliable RDR-7000 radar system will enable Omni operators to lower operational costs. In tandem, pilots will be able to make quicker decisions before flying in challenging environments because they’ll no longer need to manually upload weather conditions or adjust the antenna tilt.”
“In line with Omni’s constant search for state-of-the-art solutions that provide maximum safety for our customers, having the opportunity to upgrade our AW139 helicopter fleet weather radars with Honeywell’s, starting with nine aircraft in 2024, is a great technological achievement. With this decision, we hope to further strengthen this lasting partnership between the two companies,” said Roberto Coimbra, CEO of Omni.
In related news, the Spanish State Meteorological Agency (AEMET) has contracted Vaisala to deliver a €25m (US$27m) weather radar system. Click here to read the full story.