Honeywell is providing upgraded satcom equipment to Malaysia Airlines, allowing passengers to use mobile phones and PDAs on selected flights as part of a pilot program through mid-2009.

The satcom equipment enables passengers to use mobile and data phone services while the aircraft is in the cruise phase of flight. Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777s already are equipped with Honeywell satcom systems, providing voice and data communications as well as flight deck connectivity with air-traffic control. Recent routine maintenance checks provided an opportunity to implement the new data services capability, Honeywell said. Approvals were granted by the European Aviation Safety Agency and Malaysian Department of Civil Aviation.

Honeywell’s HD710 High Speed Data satcom unit replaces the High Power Amplifier (HPA) with a unit that contains both the HPA and a high-speed data unit.