Southwest Airlines is activating its entire Boeing 737 aircraft fleet with Honeywell’s SmartRunway and SmartLanding software to increase runway safety.

This capability is enabled via the Honeywell EGPWS enhanced ground proximity warning system already on Southwest aircraft, and more than 700 aircraft have been activated to date.

SmartRunway and SmartLanding help increase flight crew situational awareness during taxi, take-off and landing with aural and visual alerts and promote stabilised approaches. The software proactively notifies pilots when they are moving too fast, flying too high or being directed towards the wrong runway, helping break the chain of events that may lead to runway accidents. SmartRunway and SmartLanding are certified for most Airbus and Boeing aircraft, as well as numerous business aviation platforms.

“Today’s pilots face increasing challenges including unpredictable weather and dense traffic in limited airspace, forcing them to make split-second decisions during takeoff and landing,” said Jim Currier, CEO of Honeywell Aerospace Technologies. “Fortunately, as the challenges evolve, so does the technology that provides the information they need in real time. Southwest is continuing to put pilots and passengers first by investing in SmartRunway and SmartLanding software across its fleet.”

Honeywell’s next runway safety technology, Surface Alerts (Surf-A), is now being tested and is expected to be certified on commercial air transport aircraft in 2026 pending regulatory approvals. Suef-A (aerospace.honeywell.com/us/en/safety/surf-a-surface-alerts-improve-runway-safety) is cockpit alerting software that uses GPS data, automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast equipment and analytics to provide pilots with direct aural and visual alerts of potential runway traffic. Like SmartRunway and SmartLanding, Surf-A is enabled via Honeywell’s EGPWS.

This agreement furthers Honeywell’s long-standing partnership with Southwest, the world’s largest 737 platform operator. In 2015, the US airline selected Honeywell flight-deck systems for its 240-unit order of 737 Max airliners, adding to its existing fleet of 737 Next Generation models flying with Honeywell cockpit avionics. Southwest was also the first airline to incorporate Honeywell’s integrated multi-mode receiver technology into its fleet.

“Safety is at the heart of everything we do at Southwest,” said Andrew Watterson, chief operating officer at Southwest Airlines (www.southwest.com). “Honeywell’s SmartRunway and SmartLanding software will provide our pilots with enhanced situational awareness to ensure the highest level of safety while operating on runways throughout the network.”

Products and services from Honeywell Aerospace Technologies (aerospace.honeywell.com) are found on virtually every commercial, military and space aircraft, and in many terrestrial systems. The aerospace technologies business unit builds aircraft engines, cockpit and cabin electronics, wireless connectivity systems, mechanical components, power systems, and more. Its hardware and software are said to create more fuel-efficient aircraft, more direct and on-time flights, and safer skies and airports.