Air India Express Boeing 737 MAX-8.
L3Harris Technologies has signed an agreement with Air India to become lead supplier of SRVIVR25 voice and data recorders for the airline’s LCC Air India Express subsidiary’s Boeing 737 MAX-8 fleet. The systems will equip 100 MAXs, with the possibility of orders to equip a further 40 aircraft.
The deal, finalized in April but only announced this week at Farnborough, is the first avionics partnership between L3Harris and Air India since the airline was privatized under the ownership of the Tata Group. It expands the existing relationship between the two companies; L3Harris provides pilot training to Air India’s current and trainee pilots.
The initial 100 SRVIVR25 aircraft sets will be delivered between 2025 and 2028. The contingent 40 are slated for delivery post 2028.
“Equipping our 737-8 fleet with these state-of-the-art voice and data recorders is a major step forward in our commitment to safety and operational excellence,” Air India chief technology officer Sisirakanta Dash said.
“In every one of our training aircraft, we have a flight recorder, and we can take data off the aircraft,” L3Harris Commercial Aviation Solutions president Alan Crawford said.
The recorders deliver objective results of a pilot’s performance versus the subjective judgement of an instructor, Crawford said.
The company handles ab initio training for Air India and LCC IndiGo at Sanford, Florida, while current pilots and type ratings are handled from its Bangkok training center.
The company is promoting the use of competency-based training, which focuses on identifying particular aspects of a pilot’s performance that may not meet the highest standards and applying appropriate methods of remedying them.
To help with this, L3Harris deploys its Competency Assessment Recording Application. This collects data based on observed behaviors, core pilot competencies and other data points during training sorties.
“In gross generalization: across most airlines, you’ve got a set training structure that’s on a fleet basis. It’s a more reactive, customized approach,” Crawford said. “When you’re talking about pilots’ needs on an ongoing basis, you can be more proactive and use lower-cost devices.”
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