American Airlines and Airbus entered into a partnership to upgrade the cockpit displays on more than 100 of the carrier’s Airbus A320s.
According to an announcement made by Airbus on April 19, 2023, the two companies will partner to “install Enhanced Electronic Instrument System (EEIS2) LCD flight deck displays and new display computers” on American Airlines aircraft in a multi-year retrofit program.
The EEIS2 will replace the current cathode ray tube displays and Display Management Computers (DMC) found in the airline’s cockpits.
According to Airbus, “each A320 family aircraft has six flight deck displays and three DMCs located in the avionics bay”. The EEIS is built by Thales, a French aerospace, defense, and transportation electrical systems manufacturer, and will be integrated by Airbus. The Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) of the A320 family noted that it “will provide the necessary service bulletins and installation kits as well as on-site engineering support”.
Compared to the current displays, the new system improves “information displays for pilots thanks to its high resolution LCD screen and offers new system capabilities and features for American’s A320ceo fleet,” per the OEM’s estimates. Additionally, Airbus said that the retrofit program will maximize fleet commonality, reduce maintenance costs, and save 50 kilograms (110.2 lbs) of weight per aircraft.
Currently, American Airlines has 399 A320 current engine option (ceo) and 124 new engine option (neo) aircraft in its fleet, according to ch-aviation.com data. It also has four A321neo and 50 Airbus A321XLR on order, per ch-aviation.com data.