Thales scores a pair of China Southern wins at Zhuhai Air Show

This year’s Zhuhai Air Show in China delivered little significant commercial aircraft news. Standing out in the event the partnership between Thales and China Southern offered up a pair of new deals. The two companies have a strong relationship dating back nearly 20 years and this week’s moves further those ties.

New IFE on new planes

China Southern selected Thales’s AVANT IFE kit for its newest 777 deliveries, expected starting in 2019. Passengers will enjoy world class inflight entertainment with a wide selection of applications including interactive 3D maps, games and flight connection information shown on high definition displays. The IFE relationship dates back to 2012 when China Southern first selected the Thales kit for its 777 fleet. China Southern was the launch customer for AVANT and extends that partnership today.

China Southern and Thales have shared a long-term relationship over the years. As the launch customers of AVANT, the airline was the first in the market to benefit from the technological advancement of the android based IFE. China Southern has trusted Thales as the inflight entertainment partner across their new B777 fleet. This award further demonstrates Thales commitment to support the airlines ambitions of providing their passengers the best inflight experience. – Philippe Carette, CEO, Thales InFlyt Experience

China Southern currently holds orders for eight new 777s with deliveries expected in 2019-2020.

Single Aisle Avionics

In the less sexy but more important category, China Southern will take Thales avionics packages on its upcoming A320neo and 737 MAX deliveries.

The airline has selected a package of avionics components on its newest 37 A320NEO, to include Thales FMS, the most advanced Flight Management System on the market. The fleet will also be equipped with the Thales Head Up Display (HUD) system. On Boeing 737MAX fleet, the airline remains loyal to Thales Terrain Collision Avoidance System, first selected by China Southern in 2001. It will equip its newest 38 B737MAX plus 5 B737NG, supporting pilots in their critical decisions thanks to reliable surveillance information. The Thales TopFlight Satcom system, based on Inmarsat‘s L-band I4 constellation and low-range radio altimeters (LRRA) will complement the avionics equipment of this new fleet.

This new selection showcases the strength of our relationships with China Southern, one of the most important Thales’ strategic partners in the world. Not only do we have a long history of collaboration with China Southern, we also were selected because of the performance and competitiveness of our products which are underpinned by the support service excellence we provide to increase airlines efficiency. – Eric Huber, Vice President for Avionics Services Worldwide, Thales for Global

Financial terms on the deals were not disclosed.