flight entertainment
Airvod announce airline in-flight entertainment orders for A319 and BBJ aircraft
Airvod Entertainment has today announced supply agreements with Rotana Jet Aviation and Privat Air.
Pictures: The Lufthansa Airbus A380 Business and Economy Class cabins
A newly developed seat has been installed in Economy Class – as in First Class. In cooperation with internationally renowned designers and ergonomics experts, Lufthansa is thus offering passengers in Economy Class a maximum amount of space. Thanks to the optimal ergonomic design and seat structure, which also have slimmer seat backs, passengers in this travel class will also enjoy more space and comfort. The new seat concept provides passengers with an additional five centimetres of personal space and thanks to the slim-line seat back, they also have more legroom at knee level.
More individual space for Economy Class passengers
The varied in-flight entertainment programme, which can be accessed via a personal monitor, caters to all interests. Passengers can choose from a wide selection of the latest feature films, a range of international music and radio channels, and a current TV programme. New kids’ channels have been introduced, with a varied programme for young passengers and a multi-player game mode. The 3D game graphics, which are controlled with an external game controller, provide a special highlight. In all travel classes on the A380, the popular service information about the flight, the route and the flight position can be viewed as a 3D animation. Moreover, external video cameras will be used for the first time. Among other things, they will transmit pictures taken from the tailfin perspective to passengers’ individual monitors.
Passengers travelling in Lufthansa’s successful Business Class on the A380 can enjoy the recognised benefits of a seat that converts into a comfortable, two-metre-long bed. Compared with the previous Business Class cabin, functionality and user-friendliness have been further improved. A new control console for the inflight entertainment system has been installed. Thanks to the larger luggage bins on the A380, Business Class passengers also have more storage space.
Successful Lufthansa Business Class provides even more comfort
Qatar Airways appoints Thales to supply In-Flight Entertainment and Communications solutions
Qatar Airways has selected Thales to provide in-flight entertainment and communication systems for the airline’s Boeing 787 aircraft.
The appointment will see Thales supplying the airline its TopSeries system, which features a range of onboard product solutions, including passenger touch screen displays, interface options for personal electronic devices and 3D audio technology.
Qatar Airways will also be the launch customer of Thales’ new passenger handset controller with multi-tasking capabilities. The control unit is an intelligent device that enables passengers to play games and navigate through the in-flight entertainment system using touch screen technology.
Broadband connectivity will be integrated into the IFE system, allowing the potential for every passenger to access current news, sports, social networks and other mobile applications.
Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker said that the in-flight offering on the airline’s B787 fleet will be a step beyond what is currently available in the sky.
“Qatar Airways is proud to be at the forefront of the aviation industry. Our 787 aircraft will be equipped with the industry’s leading in-flight entertainment and communications technology, and we are looking forward to showcasing to our passengers just why we continue receive awards and accolades for our in-flight product.”
“The airline is continuing to expand at a rapid pace and with the opening of New Doha International Airport in addition to the delivery of our first B787s scheduled for 2011, the future is looking very bright indeed,” Al Baker said.
The Doha-based carrier has outstanding orders of 30 firm and 30 optional Boeing 787-8 aircraft due for delivery from 2011.
Thales’ TopSeries for the B787 is a lightweight design and a leading choice for configuring the B787 aircraft. With the addition of its integrated connectivity features, Qatar Airways takes a leading position in the industry.
Alan Pellegrini, Vice President and General Manager of Thales’ Inflight Entertainment Systems business said: “We are very pleased to be working with Qatar Airways on the installation of IFE and Connectivity on their new B787 aircraft. Our team is committed to their success and desire to bring innovation to their passengers.”
Qatar Airways had previously appointed Thales to provide in-flight entertainment and communications systems for 24 brand-new single-aisle A320 family aircraft as well as six retrofits for A320s already in the airline’s fleet. The systems include touch-screen technology, with seat-back screens in Economy as well as communication tools such as mobile phone connectivity. The airline offers SMS and data services on these aircraft.
Qatar Airways currently operates a modern fleet of 83 aircraft to 89 destinations across Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific and North America. Long-term, the fleet size is set to rise to 120 aircraft by 2013 and destinations served increase to 120 over the next three years. The airline has orders for more than 200 aircraft pending delivery worth over US$40 billion.
