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Collins Aerospace, an RTX business, announced upgrades for its family of radio altimeters, providing business aviation operators a clear path to meet new Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) operational standards.
Collins is providing simplified upgrade paths to its existing radio altimeter variants that meet the new FAA requirements and have demonstrated resilience to 5G interference without the need to replace existing systems.
"Business aviation operators are navigating important regulatory requirements that touch every aircraft flying in U.S. airspace," said Craig Bries, vice president and general manager of Airborne Electronics at Collins Aerospace. "By updating existing equipment, we're making compliance simple while delivering upgrades that enhance safety, strengthen connectivity and support precise navigation in the years ahead."
Collins' radio altimeters are engineered to provide precise, reliable measurements of an aircraft's height above terrain, supporting critical functionality such as automatic flight control, cockpit instrument displays and warning systems. The systems are designed to filter out false altitude returns caused by structures, nearby aircraft or ground features, helping maintain consistent situational awareness during critical stages of flight.
Collins service centers will begin providing upgrades in 2027, as part of a multi-year effort to bring business aviation fleets into compliance with the new standards. Because tens of thousands of aircraft will require updates, early scheduling will help operators avoid delays and ensure they meet upcoming deadlines.
Collins' radio altimeter upgrades are part of the company's broader airspace modernization efforts, introducing new capabilities while strengthening the proven systems on which airspace users and managers depend. This includes avionics that support increasingly capable operations and technologies that connect aircraft, controllers, infrastructure and data. Together, these efforts are designed to make aviation more resilient, connected and capable as traffic, technology and operational demands grow.
