A380 Autopilot/Flight Director TCAS

Airbus says a new Auto-Pilot/Flight-Director Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System mode for the A380 jetliner has been approved and certified by the European Aviation Safety Agency. The main benefit of the system is that it could further enhance safety during a traffic avoidance situation because the pilot can now fly the aircraft without switching out of one mode and into another. Thus, by simplifying the actions required by the pilot during a TCAS maneuver, this enhanced TCAS mode minimizes potential overreactions or inverse reactions while preserving his or her concentration at a critical time. In addition to now being certified on the A380, the AP/FD TCAS mode will also become available for retrofit on other Airbus Fly-By-Wire aircraft in the coming years.