Garmin recently announced an avionics makeover for the Citation CJ2, now available through its dealer network—and a similar upgrade for the CJ1 is on its way, too.
As business aircraft change hands, or owners opt for keeping their aircraft in service longer, the odds are pretty good that an order will be placed for a new avionics package.
The business jet cockpit avionics upgrade market is being driven by a combination of factors. One is the constant evolution of technology. “More systems not only enhance the overall performance of the aircraft, but they also reduce the workload for pilots, particularly during critical phases of flight,” says Dan Lyon, Textron Aviation’s vice president for aftermarket sales.
Lyon adds that advancements in airspace regulations and requirements are also pushing owners to update their avionics systems to ensure compliance and maximize safety.
Universal Avionics CEO Dror Yahav reports that the long-term value of many used aircraft has led to an active avionics upgrade market. Many popular business jets were manufactured decades ago, and while they are still reliable, they are at risk of aircraft-on-the-ground status due to obsolescence, frequent failures and a lack of parts availability for avionics equipment.
“These airplanes are also missing advanced navigation and communication functionality, which limits operations and gives them low priority from air traffic controllers,” he says. “Avionics upgrades are solving those obsolescence and support problems while simultaneously bringing them up to speed with the operational efficiency of a new aircraft.”
In fact, Eddy Diaz, avionics manager at Clay Lacy Aviation in Van Nuys, California, reports that the MRO gets requests from jet owners as their obsolete avionics systems break, as well as from sellers of used aircraft who want to make the aircraft more marketable by upgrading outdated or obsolete systems. Among the equipment being replaced are legacy Garmin G1000 displays, GWX-68 weather radar, Honeywell 1310-1 cockpit displays, the Honeywell flight management system (FMS) and multi-control display units one and two, Diaz notes.
Along this line, Eric Smith, MRO technical sales manager at Banyan Air Service in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, says that obsolescence is among the chief drivers for avionics retrofits. “Traditionally, business jets built 10 or more years ago” are candidates for new flight decks, he says. “This has been particularly noticeable right now with the larger jets—the Globals, Challengers, Gulfstreams and Falcons—specifically those with avionics that were factory-installed. As an example, we are seeing Collins Pro Line Fusion replacements of the Pro Line 4 and Pro Line 21.” Smith cites the Challenger 604 as an aircraft trending toward Pro Line Fusion retrofits.
The Fusion flight deck—the newest member in Collins’ series of Pro Line advanced avionics systems, which is an evolution from the prior Pro Line 4 and Pro Line 21 series—integrates the FMS directly into touchscreen displays, allowing ease of use when it comes to tasks such as flight planning, routing and overall performance calculations. “The FMS also integrates with air traffic control systems, streamlining communications with the ground during the most critical stages of flight,” says Marc Ayala, Collins Aerospace senior sales director for business and regional avionics.
Ayala says Fusion also integrates directly with synthetic and enhanced vision systems, providing visual clarity for all weather conditions, terrain changes and lighting scenarios. “The newest [version] of Pro Line Fusion features Combined Vision, which overlays synthetic and sensed images to ensure a forward view is always visible regardless of weather conditions,” he notes. “It is available across a multitude of platforms, and its modular architecture allows for simplified integration of future technologies as they become available. We also continue to offer modernization packages for Pro Line 21 aircraft, which include the Hawker 800/900, Premier 1A, Falcon 2000 and the King Air family.”
Obsolescence Cost
Bill Forbes, vice president of avionics programs at Elliott Aviation in Moline, Illinois, explains that a combination of used aircraft sales, parts scarcity and obsolescence, as well as demand by owners who want to upgrade their aircraft are all driving avionics retrofits.
“Our market is King Air and medium-sized jets. We are primarily doing Garmin G1000 retrofits on the King Airs and G5000 retrofits on the Citation Excel and XLS,” says Forbes. “The cost to maintain the legacy systems is a big driver in our G5000 program. Parts obsolescence is playing a role in the older King Air models—the King Air 200s and C90s—specifically those manufactured before Pro Line 2 was available.”
Forbes points out that legacy autopilots are also hard to support, as are the older horizontal situation indicators and attitude direction indicators. “This is particularly true for the King Air 200s below manufacturer’s serial number BB-1100, and LJ-1063 for the C90s, which have antiquated avionics that are getting harder to get parts for,” he says.
As examples, Forbes cites the Garmin G1000 as a replacement for the Pro Line 2 in the King Airs and the G5000 for the Honeywell Primus system in the Citation XL and XLS, as well as the Beechjet’s Pro Line 4. The Pro Line Fusion, he adds, is a replacement for the Pro Line 4 in the Challenger 604, and the Pro Line 2 and Pro Line 21 in the King Air series.
Going forward, Forbes sees the Citation market presenting even more opportunities. “That is my best guess,” he says. “They have older avionics that don’t fully utilize the capabilities of the airframes.”
Forbes adds that since mid-year 2023, demand for avionics upgrades has reached 10% or better over pre-pandemic levels. “The demand has contributed to a pricing surge—but [demand] is not the main reason,” he stresses. “Most avionics manufacturers typically have a price increase every year and in the last couple years, with supply chain issues and materials cost, it was at a greater level than before. Although supply chain issues have largely subsided from what they were over the past couple of years, labor costs have gone up significantly since 2019. Those two factors, more than demand, have been responsible for pricing increases.”
New And Like-New
Garmin International offers two popular retrofit integrated flight deck solutions for the business aviation market, as Kyle Ludwick, the OEM’s senior aviation marketing manager, reports. They include the G1000 NXi, which features Garmin Autoland and Autothrottle, for the King Air 200. (The suite will soon be available for the King Air 350.) Also from Garmin is the G5000 cockpit for the Citation Excel and XLS, and the Beechjet 400.
In March, Garmin also announced a total avionics modernization program for the Citation CJ2. The retrofit, described as a “complete upgrade of the light jet’s original flight deck,” will be available under a supplemental type certificate, according to a company press release. The all-Garmin retrofit will include TXi flight displays, GTN Xi navigators, GFC 600 digital autopilot and several more optional upgrades. The full CJ2 cockpit retrofit is slated for sale through Garmin’s dealer network, starting in the second quarter of this year. Garmin also plans to certify a similar flight deck upgrade for the Citation CJ1—although no date has yet been announced.
Universal Avionics’ major cockpit retrofit is its InSight flight display system. As Universal Avionics’ CEO Yahav explains, the glass cockpit upgrade removes as much as 300 lb. of old avionics and wiring weight while adding intuitive touch controls and advanced features to simplify pilot workload.
“It builds on the success of our synthetic vision system, with interactive airport maps/charts, and sharper graphics for terrain, weather and traffic,” he explains. “InSight also integrates with the satellite-based augmentation system-capable Universal FMS to enable precision-based navigation approaches and data communications.”
InSight flight deck upgrades are certified for multiple business jets including the Falcon 2000, Falcon 900B, Falcon 50, Falcon 20, Citation VII and Hawker 800 models. The installation, Yahav says, offers maximum flexibility and is compatible with legacy avionics configurations. Modifications may include three or four displays, depending on cockpit space, with an optional fifth display for engine indication available for certain aircraft.
“The door is open to certify InSight as a retrofit modification for many other business jets,” Yahav says. “We are expanding InSight integration options with additional cost-effective IRS/AHRS [inertial reference system/attitude heading reference system], new weather radars, radio management, as well as engine instrument display to address more aircraft platforms.”
The current market for avionics upgrades is driven by both existing owners and new customers who want a cockpit with the safety features and functionality approaching that of new aircraft, says Aaron Kreissler, Bombardier’s regional vice president for service sales in the Americas.
In that regard, Kreissler notes that last year, Bombardier introduced its new Advanced Avionics Upgrade (AAU) for the Bombardier Global Vision flight deck (GVFD), “which aims to elevate the safety features of the avionics systems and enhance passenger comfort.” He reports that the avionics software and hardware enhancement, which is powered by Collins Aerospace, incorporates the latest technology and is the first major update to the GVFD avionics package since it debuted.
“The new AAU is meant to enhance situational awareness and offers advanced visualization features for in-service Bombardier Global 5000, Global 6000, Global 5500 and Global 6500 aircraft equipped with the GVFD,” Kreissler says. “The new software allows for the installation of Bombardier’s combined vision system, which integrates the best features of the synthetic vision system and the enhanced vision system in a single view to reduce crew workload and achieve maximum situational awareness through the toughest weather.” Installation of the AAU, he reports, is available across Bombardier’s service center network.
Bombardier has mitigated supply chain and lead time issues by significantly expanding its service center network and adding close to 1 million ft.2 of new service infrastructure to its worldwide footprint over the last two years, Kreissler says. The OEM also hired supply chain experts and embedded them with its suppliers at their facilities to provide support on a variety of issues, from planning and sourcing to quality management.
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