For those who travel on Air Canada, there’s some good news as the airline has signed for the Pansonic Avionics Astrova in-flight entertainment (IFE) solution.
Panasonic Astrova in-seat – Imaage, Pansonic Avionics
It will be deployed on 80+ aircraft starting in 2025. Per terms of the agreement, Astrova will be line-fitted on Air Canada Boeing 787-10, Airbus A220-300 and A321XLR aircraft. Additionally, it will be retrofitted on Airbus A321.
This wide-ranging and diverse fleet commitment from Air Canada marks the first time Astrova will be installed on the Airbus A220.
Astrova will create an immersive experience for the passenger through industry-leading 4K OLED HDR10+ screens. Passengers can also experience high-fidelity audio on their own wireless headphones using Panasonic Avionics’ Bluetooth technology. If you need to work or charge a device, up to 100 W of DC power via USB-C will be available in all phases of flight to fast-charge devices,
Astrova features a modular design that delivers the scalability, and flexibility needed to keep pace with consumer trends in today’s fast-changing market. For example, Astrova’s patented removable peripheral bar can be quickly hot-swapped to unlock new upgrades and features to services like USB power, Bluetooth technology, and other standards that may change or evolve over time.
For faster delivery, more efficient maintenance, and higher innovation-to-market velocity of apps and software, Astrova will leverage Panasonic Avionics’ new IFE software platform. Its unique design uses a collection of shared system services and utilities, which allows Air Canada to quickly build, test, and deploy new applications.
Air Canada has also extended their agreement with Panasonic Avionics’ technical services team (PTS) to maintain these Astrova-equipped aircraft.
In Quotes
Hernan Abbes, Vice President of Global Sales at Panasonic Avionics Corporation, said:
“Our long term agreement with Air Canada represents the future of airline IFE programs. With its flexible design and modular approach to upgrades, we are confident that our award-winning Astrova IFE solution will enhance Air Canada’s brand and increase passenger engagement for many years to come. We look forward to continued collaboration with Air Canada to perpetually deliver the latest technology to Air Canada throughout the lifetime of its fleet.”
John Moody, Managing Director Onboard Product of Air Canada, said:
“We’re very excited to build on our long term relationship with Panasonic Avionics by selecting Astrova for our next generation cabins. It represents our commitment to delivering the best experience to our customers. Astrova is the best available solution on the market today, and we are proud to make it part of Air Canada’s award winning in-flight entertainment.”
We’ll have more from the Pansonic booth this week – there’s a lot to go over…
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