Airbus Begins Deliveries of First A350s with Touchscreen Cockpit Displays Option to Customers

Airbus has commenced deliveries to airlines of the first A350s equipped with pioneering new touchscreen cockpit displays. Specially developed for the A350 together with Thales, they will confer enhanced operational efficiencies, greater crew interaction, cockpit symmetry and smoother information management. On 18th December China Eastern Airlines took delivery in Toulouse of the first A350 equipped with the new devices. To date, around 20 airlines have selected the option for their new A350s.

Of the A350 cockpit's six large screens, three can now become touch capable: the two outer displays plus the lower-centre display. These displays now offer touchscreen capability for the pilots when presenting Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) applications. This new method of input complements the existing physical keyboard integrated into the retractable table in front of each pilot and also the keyboard & trackball "keyboard-cursor control unit" (KCCU) located on the centre console.

The new technology, which was recently certified for the A350 by EASA in November, facilitates 'pinch-zooming' and panning gestures and will facilitate more flexibility and better interaction between both pilots, particularly during these scenarios: (a) before take-off (for computing take-off performance while entering data into the flight management system "FMS"); (b) in-flight/cruise (for accessing en-route navigation charts); and (c) during approach preparation (for consulting the terminal charts before entering FMS data). Moreover, during high workload phases of flight, the touchscreen capability reduces need for pilots to make multiple cursor inputs and avoids them having to flip between different displays when using the EFB applications collaboratively on the lower centre display.

Patrick Piedrafita, Head of Airbus' A350 XWB Programme said: "Airbus continues to set the industry trends in aircraft cockpit design with these new interactive touchscreen displays in the A350. With our partner Thales we are very proud to bring this technology to our customers, to enhance their aircrews' operations."

The A350 XWB features the latest aerodynamic design, a carbon fibre fuselage and wings, plus new fuel-efficient Rolls-Royce engines. Together, these features translate into unrivalled levels of operational efficiency with a 25 per cent reduction in fuel burn and emissions. By the end of November, the A350 XWB Family had received 959 firm orders from 51 customers.

China civil avionics market is expected to exceed one trillion yuan in the next 20 years. According to the prediction of COMAC, based on global economic growth of 2.8%, the global Revenue Passenger Kilometers (RPK) will increase at an average annual rate of 4.4% over the next 20 years. Delivery of each class passenger jets will reach 43,013, valued at about $5,787.7 billion. About 5,255 turbofan regional aircraft will be delivered, worth more than $242.3 billion; 28,718 single-aisle jet aircraft will be delivered, worth $2.83 trillion; 9,040 double-aisle jet aircraft will be delivered, worth about $2.72 trillion. Chinese airlines will receive 8,575 new planes, with a market value of about $1,210.4 billion. If avionics systems account for 15% of the total value of civil aircraft, the China civil avionics market will reach about us $181.6 billion (1.23 trillion yuan) in the next 20 years.

In recent years, China continues to promote large aircraft major projects and vigorously pushes the development of domestic civil aircraft avionics system industry. In the future, with vast civil aircraft avionics market, domestic avionics related enterprises are facing unprecedented development opportunities.

Under this background, the 9^th Annual Civil Avionics International Forum will be held in Shanghai city on the coming April 21^st to 22^nd, focus on the safety and reliability development of avionics system for civil aircraft

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