As we approach the holiday season, I would like to wish the readers of Avionics Magazine happy holidays and all the best for 2016. We have just completed a very successful Avionics for NextGen event which we held in late October in Washington. We bought this event back after a two year gap and there were some great discussions on all things NextGen. We aim to make the event even bigger and better and next year, and as we approach the 2020 deadlines for key FAA mandates, discussions around NextGen will only intensify.
We are delighted this issue to bring you two new features for the publication on topics we have not really covered before, at least not on my watch. One of the main stories is looking at the booming aviation and avionics market in China. This is without doubt one of the most exciting markets with Chinese airlines investing huge amounts in new aircraft and capability.
We also put the spotlight on both Airbus and Boeing with our editorial team of Woodrow Bellamy III and Juliet Van Wagenen looking at two of the most popular aircraft out there – the Airbus A350 XWB and the Boeing 787 and look at the avionics challenges facing the airframers here. Our popular Upgrade Central feature sees us take a look at the databus testing market and the latest trends there. This is also backed up with exclusive data from our reader survey. We also take a look at the Future Air Navigation System (FANS) technology and the progress being made here.
So, as we end the year, we look forward to once again serving the market in 2016 with greater intelligence, as more aircraft get connected, and mandates move sharply in the rear view mirror. It promises to be an exciting year ahead.
Mark Holmes is the editorial director for Avionics Magazine and Via Satellite magazine.