Thomas Cook Leads the Way in Innovation by Selecting Thales’s On-Board Airport Navigation System (OANS) and Avionics for Their New Airbus A320 and A321 Fleet

June 24, 2013
Thomas Cook will be among the first airlines in the world to equip their Single Aisle aircraft with the On-Board Airport Navigation System (OANS), a fully integrated and avionic certified airport moving map developed by Thales for Airbus.

Paris Air Show 21st June 2013 - Thomas Cook has recently selected Thales to provide a set of avionics solutions including Flight Management System, Surveillance products and the new On-Board Airport Navigation System (OANS) on their new Airbus A320 and A321.

Under the terms of this agreement, Thomas Cook will be among the first airlines in the world to equip their Single Aisle aircraft with the On-Board Airport Navigation System (OANS), a fully integrated and avionic certified airport moving map developed by Thales for Airbus.

This brand new product, already flying on A380 in many airlines, is enabling all the future ground surveillance and situational awareness capabilities currently in work.

Thales will also equip Thomas Cook aircraft with the new generation of dual Flight Management System (FMS) where Thales’s worldwide market share is more than 60%.

Finally part of this selection agreement is the latest integrated surveillance suite known as T3CAS that includes TCAS (Traffic and Collision Avoidance System), TAWS Terrain Awareness Warning System) and Transponder functions.

The T3CAS includes the latest Airbus solution ADS-B IN capabilities (Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast) known as ATSAW (Air Traffic Situational Awareness). The system also includes a Mode S Transponder DO 260A and a certified change 7.1 TCAS meeting the latest mandate.

“Airlines need to take crucial avionic equipment decisions to be compliant with the new CNS standards and at the same time enhance their flight operation procedures to further improve operational efficiency,” said Bernd Bechtel, executive vice president of Group Fleet Management for Thomas Cook Group plc.

Bechtel added, “Thales’s avionics solution offer technology which delivers the required compliance, with growth potential where operators are becoming capable to further develop their operational procedures ultimately resulting in more efficient operations.”

“We are very proud to have Thomas Cook as our launch customer for our On-Board Airport Navigation System and to add them on our long list of customers for Thales Flight Management and T3CAS Surveillance Systems,” said Jean-Louis Viala Vice-President, General Manager for Avionics Services Worldwide in Europe, Middle-East and Africa.

“This avionics configuration, will lay the foundations for all future ATM requirements in Europe,” Jean-Louis adds.

About Thales

Thales is a global technology leader for the Defence & Security and the Aerospace & Transportation markets. In 2012, the company generated revenues of €14.2 billion with 65,000 employees in 56 countries. With its 25,000 engineers and researchers, Thales has a unique capability to design, develop and deploy equipment, systems and services that meet the most complex security requirements. Thales has an exceptional international footprint, with operations around the world working with customers and local partners. www.thalesgroup.com

About the Thomas Cook Airline Group

The Thomas Cook Airlines Group consists of the four airlines: Condor Flugdienst, Thomas Cook Airlines Belgium, Thomas Cook Airlines Scandinavia and Thomas Cook Airlines UK. The airlines carry 17m passengers per year, generating revenues of £2.8m. The combined fleet consists of 86 aircraft that are maintained by the joint Group Maintenance Organisation (GMO) of the Thomas Cook Airlines Group.