Collins Aerospace Announces Radio Altimeter Upgrades to Meet New FAA Standards
Why It MattersWith tens of thousands of aircraft needing updates, radio altimeter compliance becomes a fleet-wide, multi-year scheduling constraint on business aviation avionics service capacity.
Collins Aerospace, an RTX business, announced on Oct. 21, 2026, in Las Vegas, upgrades for its family of radio altimeters, giving business aviation operators a path to meet new Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) operational standards. The company is offering simplified upgrade paths to its existing radio altimeter variants that meet the new FAA requirements and have demonstrated resilience to 5G interference, without the need to replace existing systems.
Craig Bries, vice president and general manager of Airborne Electronics at Collins Aerospace, said that by updating existing equipment the company is making compliance simple while delivering upgrades that enhance safety, strengthen connectivity and support precise navigation. Collins' radio altimeters measure an aircraft's height above terrain and support functions such as automatic flight control, cockpit instrument displays and warning systems, and are designed to filter out false altitude returns caused by structures, nearby aircraft or ground features.
Collins service centers will begin providing the upgrades in 2027, as part of a multi-year effort to bring business aviation fleets into compliance with the new standards. Because tens of thousands of aircraft will require updates, early scheduling is recommended so operators can avoid delays and meet upcoming deadlines. The upgrades form part of Collins' broader airspace modernization efforts.
