Grand Rapids MI - In the frame of the avionics selection for their new A340-600 aircraft, German flag carrier Lufthansa switched to the new generation Topflight Flight Management System (FMS) developed jointly by Thales and Smiths Aerospace.

This decision follows a thorough period of evaluation of competing FMS systems by Lufthansa pilots and engineers, including full flight simulator testing. At the end of this evaluation, Lufthansa decided to equip their seven new A340-600 with the Thales / Smiths FMS.

"We are delighted that Lufthansa has selected the Topflight FMS for their long range A340-600 aircraft, commented Dr. John Ferrie, President of Smiths Aerospace. The partnership between Smiths and Thales has produced a very successful advanced Flight Management System rewarding our long term investment in this technology."

The Topflight FMS for Airbus aircraft features innovative hardware design - dual high-speed processor architecture, large memory capacity, Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) interface - and unique software functionalities - superior flight planning flexibility (multi revision temporary flight plan, undo function, improved DIR TO...), and upgraded display functionality: "what you see is what you fly".

"Three years after the first commercial flight of the FMS system on an A319 aircraft, our Flight Management System reached an important milestone with the selection by Lufthansa, and the deployment of the Topflight FMS on long range airplanes like the A340-600" said Mark Barclay, Managing Director of Thales, Aerospace Services Worldwide. He added," We are obviously very proud of this selection by such a renowned and established operator, not least as the decision was taken following a deep technical and operational evaluation of our FMS system".

Thales is a leading international electronics and systems group, serving defence, aerospace, security and services markets worldwide. The Group employs 60,000 people throughout the world and generated revenues of 10.3 billion euros in 2005. www.thalesgroup.com

Smiths Aerospace, a part of Smiths Group, is a leading transatlantic aerospace systems and equipment company, with more than 11,000 employees and $2 billion revenues globally. The company holds key positions in the supply chains of all major military and civil aircraft and engine manufacturers and is a world-leader in digital, electrical power, mechanical systems, engine components and Systems Customer Services. www.geaviationsystems.com

Lufthansa ranks among the top ten airlines in the world in terms of size and is the second-largest European airline, serving 411 destinations in more than 96 countries around the world, including 19 North American gateways. In 2005, Lufthansa flew a record 51 million passengers. www.lufthansa.com

Press Contacts:

Monique Navarra, Press Officer
+ 33 (0)1 34 81 40 50
monique.navarra@fr.thalesgroup.com

Jennifer Villarreal
+1 616 241 8643
jennifer.villareal3@ge.com