Press Release

Issued by Universal Avionics, an Elbit Systems company.

July 26, 2022

Universal Avionics (UA), an Elbit Systems company, has been selected by Everts Air Cargo (EAC) to supply cockpit upgrades for installation on its fleet of McDonnell Douglas MD-80 aircraft. Fitted in partnership with LB Aviation, the addition of Universal Advanced Flight Displays, SBAS-Flight Management Systems (FMS) with LPV capability, integrated GPS, and UniLink Communications Management systems will provide safety enhancements and operational efficiency for Everts' MD-80 fleet. EAC will also be a lead customer of FlightPartner, UA's recently unveiled connectivity ecosystem.

Everts Air Cargo specialises in transporting freight and mail in Alaska and uses its MD-80s to supply on-demand charter service operations throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico and Caribbean Islands. LB Aviation, a UA dealer, developed the solution and performed the installation of Universal's technology in EAC's MD-80 aircraft.

In addition to modernising theUNS-1ew and EFI-890R cockpit for improved flight operations, upgrades tackle important challenges around MD-80 maintenance and parts availability. Universal technology meets existing and upcoming regulations mandated by the FAA, such as the ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast) Out mandate for enhanced safety and situational awareness through traffic, weather and flight information services. By enabling two-way Wi-Fi integration between the FMS and EFB (electronic flight bag), pilots can take advantage of connectivity on the ground and in-flight using FlightPartner applications for seamless flight operations and FlightReview for cloud-based data analytics.

“Air cargo plays a pivotal role in global supply chains, and we are proud to support Everts' cargo and commercial operations with the technology to meet worldwide compliance and continue reliable operations on diverse airliners,” said Dror Yahav, CEO of Universal Avionics. “This project with Everts Air is Universal's second large avionics upgrade on MD-80s/DC-9s in the last few months, solidifying UA's position as the leader in avionics modernisation solutions for these aircraft.”