ARINC Direct has been named a distributor and factory service representative for the Swiss-made line of Thommen aircraft instruments. ARINC will sell and service the full Thommen line, including the AD-32, a new RVSM (Reduced Vertical Separation Minimum) solution for business aircraft. Consisting of a Thommen Digital Air Data Computer and Air Data Display Unit, the RVSM equipment just received a TSO approval from the FAA and is currently in production. ARINC will exhibit at Booth 514 of the 2004 AEA Trade Show in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Along with the addition of Thommen instruments, ARINC Direct has enhanced the service and repair capabilities of its Colorado Springs Aircraft Services Center, now certified as a Class 1, 2, 3 & 4 instrument repair facility. The company is targeting the North, Central and South American market for aircraft RVSM modifications, which will be required on the majority of commercial airliners and business jets by January 2005.

Thommen instruments are original equipment on more than 25 leading types of commercial and business aircraft. The equipment is manufactured by Revue Thommen AG of Waldenburg, Switzerland, a leading precision avionics manufacturer founded in 1853.

"The new affiliation of Thommen with ARINC Direct is an important step forward for us," stated Rudolf Iten, Thommen AG Director of Sales and Marketing. "It facilitates service for our North American commercial customers, while it opens the door to the large business jet marketplace as well."

The Thommen range of instruments includes air data computers, air data displays and altimeters to produce high quality and competitively-priced RVSM solutions for airliners, regional jets, and business aviation aircraft. Other Thommen instruments include speed, climb, control, and engine monitoring indicators, and clocks for all commercial and military aircraft.

"We are continuously working to provide greater convenience and a choice of high quality solutions for ARINC Direct customers," said Dave Poltorak, ARINC Vice President, Business Aviation Services. "With the deadline for RVSM certification rapidly approaching in North, Central and South America, our association with Thommen instruments makes us an even more valuable partner to business aviation."

FMI: www.arinc.com, www.thommenag.ch