Southwest Airlines has taken a significant step to enhance runway safety by equipping its Boeing 737 aircraft with Honeywell Aerospace's SmartRunway and SmartLanding software. This development follows Honeywell Aerospace's announcement of being spun off from its parent company, Honeywell, due to pressure from Elliott Investment Management.
The technology upgrade is facilitated through the Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System (EGPWS), already installed on over 700 Southwest Airlines aircraft. The airline operates a fleet comprising 339 Boeing 737-700s, 203 Boeing 737-800s, and 264 Boeing 737 MAX 8s.
"SmartRunway and SmartLanding help increase flight crew situational awareness during taxi, take-off, and landing with aural and visual alerts and promote stabilized approaches," explained Jim Currier, President and CEO of Honeywell Aerospace Technologies. He emphasized that these systems proactively alert pilots when they are moving too fast or flying too high.