Thai Airways has chosen Collins Aerospace, an RTX business, to implement its advanced Flight Operations and Maintenance Exchanger (FOMAX) system across its expanding fleet of Airbus A321neo aircraft. This deployment is a core component of Collins’ GlobalConnect managed services program, designed to deliver seamless, real-time data connectivity.
The FOMAX system provides immediate data streams directly to pilots, maintenance crews, and operational offices. This enhances situational awareness in the cockpit, enables predictive maintenance planning, and improves overall fleet efficiency. A key feature of the service is ACARS over IP (AoIP) technology, which replaces older communication methods. AoIP allows for the secure, high-speed transmission of critical aircraft data over modern IP networks, offering greater speed, capacity, and reliability.
“Airlines require actionable insights delivered in real time to make smarter, faster decisions,” said Nicole White, Vice President and General Manager of Connected Aviation at Collins Aerospace. “Our GlobalConnect solution provides Thai Airways with a powerful advantage: seamlessly connecting aircraft to ground systems to precisely monitor performance and streamline data flows. This goes beyond efficiency, empowering enhanced safety and reliability.”
Globally, nearly 1,500 aircraft utilize the FOMAX system. Its capability to automatically download quick access recorder data after every flight provides a continuous stream of safety and operational intelligence, allowing airlines to closely monitor aircraft health.
For Thai Airways, this upgrade is a strategic step. “The deployment of these advanced connectivity capabilities is a key milestone in our digital transformation,” stated Captain Kittivaj Mongkonpruthangkoon, Head of Lean Operation and Fuel Efficiency at Thai Airways. “This enhanced framework supports our goals for operational efficiency, proactive safety oversight, and greater reliability on every journey.”
Collins Aerospace will equip all 32 of Thai Airways’ A321neo aircraft with GlobalConnect services, with the fleet expected to be fully delivered by 2028. The airline’s first connected A321neo entered commercial service on January 22, operating a route from Bangkok to Singapore, marking the beginning of this new, data-driven chapter for the carrier.
