The Thales airport navigation system, Onboard Airport Navigation System (OANS), is currently in production and on track for its maiden flight on the Airbus A320, Thales said Tuesday, Dec. 3.
Cockpit of Airbus A320 on runway ready for takeoff. Photo, courtesy of Thales.
Thales has not confirmed a date for the maiden flight, which will be the first time the OANS system flies on an aircraft other than the A380, which it debuted on in 2007. OANS displays the aircraft position on a high-resolution geo-referenced map using an airport mapping database to give pilots directions to and from the gate.
Airbus is also looking to transition to the system to the A350 XWB, which enters service next year, as well as to the A330 and A340.
“OANS brings a new level of comfort and functionality to pilots, providing them with an excellent visibility of the situation on the ground as well as helping them to navigate even more efficiently in airports they are totally unfamiliar with; from landing through to arrival at the gate, and vice-versa,” said Sébastien Perrignon, program director for the A320 family at Thales.