Aerospace supplier GKN Fokker Services has been awarded a supplemental type certificate to fit ADS-B Out on Boeing 737 aircraft by Civil Aviation Administration of China.
The Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) can be used to install all compliant transponder types in combination with every compliant GPS source to offer a solution for operators with mixed configurations in their aircraft fleet.
The STC from the China Aircraft Airworthiness Department (CAAC) follows the STC issued for ADS-B (automatic dependent surveillance – broadcast) Out modification on the Boeing 737 issued by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in 2018 and 2019.
GKN Fokker Services said that it has already received orders for the Boeing Next-Generation 737 ADS-B Out modification. The retrofit enables aircraft operators to comply with global ADS-B out mandates.
ADS-B Out automatically broadcasts relevant data from an aircraft towards air traffic management organizations. ADS-B Out data includes the identity of the aircraft, the GPS location and direction of flight.
A new version of the ADS-B Out system (DO260B) will become mandatory in 2020 in the USA, Europe, UAE and several other countries which involves an upgrade or replacement of the ATC Transponder and the GPS receiver. The upgraded system enables optimization of the airspace and minimizes the use of ground radar stations.
Within the next decade, most of the airspace throughout the globe will be using ADS-B as the primary means of surveillance, replacing radar. This will include the oceanic environment (Satellite ADS-B).
After obtaining EASA and FAA STCs for the Bombardier Q400 (ST04125NY) and the Airbus A320 Family (ST04157NY), GKN Fokker Services is expanding its ADS-B Out program to other aircraft types. These include the Boeing 737 Classic, 747, 757 and 767.
Erik Lous, Product Manager ADS-B Out at GKN Fokker Services said: “We are extremely happy with our CAAC STC for our ADS-B Out solution for the Boeing 737 aircraft. It is truly differentiating, since it encompasses all compliant transponders and GPS sources.
“Our STC will also allow our customers to modify their aircraft very cost-effectively and with a minimum of downtime, typically during just one or two overnight checks. Furthermore, with our STC, the customer has the option to update existing transponders or replace the existing transponders with transponders from different vendors.”
