American_Airlines

American Airlines has selected Airbus’s Runway Overrun Prevention System (ROPS) technology for all of its A320 airliners.

The onboard cockpit technology increases pilots’ situational awareness during landing and reduces exposure to runway excursion risk.

The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) first approved the ROPS in October 2009 and the system is currently in-service on, or ordered for, around 70% of the A380 fleet.

ROPS is part of the basic configuration of A350 XWB jets and is also being used on other Airbus variants, starting with the A320, with a certification on this type expected later this year.

Airbus senior vice president and chief product safety officer Yannick Malinge said that the ROPS was the result of years of continuing research by Airbus.

"Its selection by American Airlines for its A320 family fleet underscores the value and significant contribution that ROPS brings to aviation safety," Malinge said.

American Airlines Flight vice president John Hale added: "Our pilots appreciate the operational benefits that this industry-approved cockpit technology will bring to their daily work."

ROPS analyses minimum realistic in-flight landing and on-ground stopping distances while comparing them with available real-time landing distances.

The analyses will consider factors such as runway topography and condition, aircraft weight and configuration, as well as wind and temperature.

"Our pilots appreciate the operational benefits that this industry-approved cockpit technology will bring to their daily work."

The resulting outcome provides audio callouts and alerts for pilots, making ROPS an awareness tool to assess the crew in decision making processes.

In order to lower and eliminate the risk of runway excursions, various industrial members, including EASA, NTSB, Eurocontrol and FAA, are supporting the introduction of effective measures by commercial aviation stakeholders.

In line with this efforts, Airbus is making ROPS technology commercially available for aircraft from other manufacturers.

The system will be combined with the Terrain Avoidance Warning System, which is already fitted, and will use an enhanced version of its worldwide runway database.

American Airlines’ fleet of some 900 aeroplanes fly more than 3,500 daily flights worldwide from hubs in Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Los Angeles, Miami and New York.

Image: American Airlines will equip all of its A320 family jets with Airbus ROPS technology which is designed to increase pilots’ situational awareness during landing. Photo: Fixion / Airbus SAS.

Defence Technology