Whilst American Airlines might be ripping out screens of some domestic aircraft, it is still continuing to deploy screens on its long haul aircraft.
American Airlines has selected Thales’ latest AVANT inflight entertainment (IFE) solution to equip its new A321XLR and Boeing 787-9 aircraft for transcontinental and international travel.
The airline has 50 A321XLR and 30 Boeing 787-9 on order currently.
American’s aircraft will be the launch customer flying with Thales’ new line of Optiq displays – which are 4K high dynamic range (HDR) capable seatback screens enhanced with Samsung QLED proprietary technology.
The system is capable of Bluetooth connection at each seat, which allows passengers to pair their wireless headphones to the system.
Premium Class seats will enjoy 17-inch displays accompanied by a 5-inch touchscreen handset offering a true second-screen experience.
Premium Economy and Economy Class will feature 13.3-inch displays and 11.6-inch displays, respectively.
AVANT will be integrated with American’s high-speed connectivity system to provide digital services and real-time health monitoring & reporting.
American has also selected Thales’ high-power charging solutions, which will give passengers access to both USB type C 60-watt and AC outlets at each seat in all classes. This solution is designed to meet the specific power needs of passengers, now and in the future.
In Quotes
Yannick Assouad, Executive Vice-President Avionics, Thales said:
“American Airlines has trusted Thales as an inflight entertainment supplier for more than a decade and now to equip its new A321XLR and Boeing 787-9 aircraft with the latest AVANT IFE solution. As air travel begins to recover, Thales continues to invest in digital innovations that create value for our customers. We’re truly excited to provide these solutions to American and its customers.”
Investment in the premium products
It seems that American Airlines are focusing the premium travel experiences on their long haul products – be it the Boeing 787-9 or the upcoming Airbus A321XLR.
For those who wish to be entertained when flying transcontinental, it will be good to have something to stare at other than a tablet, the seat back or the seats in front of you.
For international customers, it will represent a continuation of the entertainment experiences they seek to have – because like it or not – the days of the big screen for all to consume have long gone.
But delivering 4K HDR Content. That’s going to be a real challenge – considering airlines are still struggling to deliver HD in some circumstances.
Who knows- they might have to pay to licence that 4K HDR content – and if airlines have to pay, you know who will pay next…
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