Malaysia Airlines Partners with Thales to Optimize Flight Management and Surveillance Solutions
- 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.
Malaysia Airlines is embarking on a partnership with Thales which focuses on installing avionics equipment onboard 20 of its Airbus A330neo aircraft.
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 aircrafts 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 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, prioritizing the safety of our customers and crew in all our operations.” Captain Nasaruddin A. Bakar, Chief Operating Officer of Malaysia Airlines
About Thales in Singapore
Thales established its presence in Singapore in 1973 to support the expansion of aerospace-related activities in the Asia-Pacific region. Over the years, the company has expanded and today is involved in the main sectors of Aerospace (including Air Traffic Management); Defence & Security and Digital Identity & Security (DIS). Thales also has an established Research, Technology and Innovation (RTI) footprint in Singapore, housing a Research and Technology team (one of five for the Thales Group worldwide), an Innovation Hub and the Digital Factory in Asia. For the Digital Identity & Security business, Thales operates the Group’s largest multi-module DIS Manufacturing Competence Centre in Singapore, together with an Engineering Competence Centre working on research and product development for multiple sectors, including banking, telecommunications and automotive. In Aerospace, the largest avionics manufacturing site for the Thales Group is located in Singapore. Thales employs over 2000 people of over thirty nationalities in Singapore, across three locations in Ayer Rajah Crescent, Changi North Rise and at Suntec City.
About ACSS
Aviation Communication & Surveillance Systems (ACSS) is a joint venture, with 70 percent owned by L3Harris Technologies and 30 percent owned by Thales. ACSS produces avionics systems that increase safety, situational awareness and efficiency for commercial and military flight operators. More than 75,000 ACSS products are operating in commercial, corporate and military aircraft.
