With EgyptAir taking its Airbus A350-900 into the sky, the airline also launched with Panasonic Avionics‘ suite of in-flight engagement and connectivity (IFEC) systems and a suite of digital apps and services.
With the entry into service of this latest twin-aisle aircraft, is the first airline to fly globally with Panasonic Avionics’ fully integrated in-flight engagement (IFE) interactive design and publishing tool – Modular Interactive (MI).
Designed as a cloud-based platform, MI features a flexible, modular architecture that supports highly configurable layouts, themes, and style elements without the long lead times or high costs typically tied to traditional interactive development and testing. Airlines can use MI Studio to independently define and deploy different design styles, colour palettes, branding assets, apps, and service activations, giving them increased autonomy to build and refine new experiences.
In addition to this, other features have now launched alongside, including Arc Maps with the “Arc for Young Explorers experience”. It combines an eye-catching dinosaur theme with real-time flight data, children can enter “dino mode” and explore their flight as a Quetzalcoatlus. The kids’ map will display dinosaurs that once inhabited the regions currently being flown over, letting young passengers learn about each dinosaur’s characteristics, behaviours, and background.
For those who prefer a more normal map experience, the A 3D in-flight map platform has an interface that highlights three core features: high-resolution 3D visuals, smooth interaction, and immersive engagement. To this end, Egyptair launched Arc Vistas, which provides immersive and cinematic views of the world directly from the Arc map 3D engine. Arc Vistas can be accessed interactively by passengers or utilised in a relaxing screen-saver mode.
This is all shown to passengers utilising Panasonic’s Astronva 4K OLED displays in business class. This delivers a fully immersive experience featuring 4K OLED HDR10+ displays that provide stunning, cinema-quality visuals. Bluetooth and wired headsets will offer high-fidelity spatial audio for the best possible listening experience. Astrova will also deliver 67W of USB-C power to enable fast charging of laptops and all other passenger devices.
In Economy Class, passengers benefit from Panasonic Avionics’ NEXT IFE system, offering 4K seatback displays, Bluetooth audio connectivity for personal headphones, and an intuitive user interface that supports fast access to content and services.
To tie this all together, these aircraft will be connected with Panasonic Avionics’ in-flight connectivity solutions via its global Ku-band satellite network. This enables EgyptAir’s passengers to stay connected throughout their journey, while supporting a consistent, end-to-end digital experience onboard.
In Quotes
Captain Ahmed Adel, Chairman & CEO, EGYPTAIR Holding, stated:
”We are proud to introduce a new era of in-flight comfort and entertainment for our passengers. The integration of the Astrova and NEXT systems on our A350-900 ensures that every traveler, whether in Business or Economy class, enjoys world-class connectivity and cinema-quality visuals. From the immersive 3D maps for adults to the ‘Young Explorers’ experience for our junior travelers, we are committed to making every EgyptAir flight a memorable one.”
Andrew Mohr, Vice President of Digital Solutions, Panasonic Avionics, said:
“We are excited and honored to once again collaborate with EgyptAir. Together our companies will maximize passenger engagement by bringing smarter, more connected in-flight experiences to their passengers.
“By combining our industry leading applications and services with our award-winning IFE platforms and global connectivity, we will deliver a consistent, personalized passenger journey from pre-flight through arrival. We are confident that this powerful new combination of hardware, apps, services and connectivity will drive deeper loyalty, unlock new ancillary revenue opportunities, and enhance operational performance for EgyptAir.”
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