Collins Aerospace Systems, a technological and intelligent solutions provider for the global aerospace and defense industry, signed three deals at the Dubai Airshow this week, with the UAE’s Etihad Airways, Turkish Airlines and FlyBig, an Indian start-up.

"It is a great first year,” said Talel Kamel, Vice President at Collins Aerospace, MEA and APAC. “We are featuring in the Dubai Airshow for the first time as Collins Aerospace, and it is a great set-up.”

The US-based company has both commercial and defense clients in the region, and its services have been used by coalition forces to defend the region for decades. The firm’s avionics and communications systems are installed in many military aircraft and helicopter platforms in service in the region. Collins also supplies multiple tactical data links, such as Link 11, Link 16 and Link 22.

However, Kamel noted that the greater share of Collins’ business—75 percent—is from commercial industries as compared with 25 percent from government industries.

As part of its commercial services, Collins Aerospace provides communication and navigation radio sensors and data links for B777, A320, A330 and A380 aircraft across the region. Collins interiors has supplied more than 100,000 aircraft seats to Middle East clients.

“In the Middle East, we have a great relationship with all the airlines,” said Kamel. “Dubai Airshow is a good opportunity to meet our customers and our partners in the region, on the commercial as well as the military side. As you’d expect, [these] relationships go back a long time. We look forward to increasing our collaboration now.”

Responding to the changing commercial and defense landscape of the region, Collins Aerospace is looking to provide more intelligent and autonomous solutions to its clients.

Collins’ top three clients are UAE-based Emirates and Etihad Airways and Saudia, Saudi Arabia’s national airline, with whom they “have very loyal and long commercial relationships and partnerships.”

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Collins Aerospace signed a 10-year support agreement with Etihad Airways.

DEALS SIGNED DURING DUBAI AIRSHOW

Collins signed a 10-year support Dispatch avionics deal with UAE’s Etihad Airways at the Dubai Airshow. The agreement will cover 72 Boeing 787-9 aircraft through Collins Aerospace’s DispatchSM flight hour programme.

“Our Dispatch program reduces the need for spares inventory, saving the airline money, and improves aircraft availability by ensuring avionics quality, reliability and availability,” said Craig Bries, vice president and general manager, Avionics Service and Support for Collins Aerospace.

The deal marks Collins’ first performance-based service programme with the Abu Dhabi-based airline. The Boeing 787 is the flagship aircraft of Etihad Airways, comprising more than one-third of the airline’s fleet.

In another deal signed this week, Turkish Airlines’ new Airbus A350 and Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleets will feature industry-leading? ?Essence galley inserts? from Collins.

Collins has also entered into an agreement with FlyBig, an airline start-up based in India. FlyBig has selected the ARINC PaxLinkSM Passenger Services System (PSS) to help streamline its airline and travel operations. This will enable FlyBig, Collins’ first India-based customer, to manage reservations, inventory, distribution and departure control with one integrated cloud-based system.

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