Canadian airline and charter operator Nolinor Aviation is installing Universal Avionics (UA) glass displays and avionics systems on 10 of its Boeing 737-200s. The upgrades include four UA EFI-890R advanced flight displays and the addition of a second UA UNS-1Lw Satellite-Based Augmentation System (SBAS) and flight management system (FMS). Work on the first aircraft is complete and it has re-entered service, while the second aircraft installation is in process with UA authorised dealer Mid-Canada Mod Center (MC2).

The upgrade addresses equipment obsolescence and the increasing difficulty in supporting older electromechanical instruments, resulting in improved reliability and safety. The EFI-890R flight displays will allow Nolinor to focus on increasing dispatch reliability and mission completion, meeting the needs of mining companies and transporting more than 100 passengers to remote villages only accessible by air.

“We have been highly satisfied with the recent installation of the EFI-890R and SBAS-FMS in our B737-200,” says director of operations Yves Bergeron. “With seamless integration in our cockpit, we've benefitted from increased accuracy in our flight operations as well as enhanced situational awareness for our pilots. The system's reliability greatly reduces aircraft downtime.”

An SBAS-capable FMS has become essential for commercial aircraft operating in northern Canada, where weather can be challenging and the ability to fly RNAV (GNSS) LPV LOS approach procedures is often necessary. The UA UNS-1Lw SBAS-FMS's combination of analogue and digital inputs and outputs makes it an ideal fit for the B737-200 aircraft. In addition, gravel runways are included in the FMS navigation database. True north course approaches and FMS temperature compensation were all sought-after features offered with the UA SBAS-FMS.

With only 77 Boeing 737-200 aircraft remaining in service today, Nolinor Aviation's fleet is the largest in the world.