Thales Wins Dual HUD Contract from China Southern

China Southern Airlines has selected the Dual Head Up Displays (HUD) configuration from Thales across 30 of its new Airbus A320s, alongside the Thales Flight Management System and LRRARadio altimeter.

The order represents the largest contract for HUDs and the first ever for a dual configuration system since the Civil Aviation Authority of China (CAAC) made it mandatory for all Chinese registered aircraft to be equipped with HUDs (single HUD configuration is the minimum requirement).

The dual configuration developed by Thales, and certified by Airbus in early 2015 is a clear step forward compared to a single configuration as it provides information to both pilots.

With eyes focused outside, viewing the presentation of flight path, acceleration, visual glide slope angle and the runway aim point, both pilot and co-pilot can achieve greater precision and situational awareness at all times and are able to interact with one another with the same level of information during the critical phases of the flight, especially in low visibility conditions.

"As skies become more congested, Head Up Displays are becoming a mainstay for pilots. China is leading the world in adopting this technology and Thales has invested considerable efforts in developing the most highly performing HUD on the market. This latest contract is the culmination of our efforts and we look forward to working together with longstanding customers like China Southern," said Daniel Malka , Thales VP, Avionics Services Worldwide.