Panasonic Avionics Corporation (PAC), a subsidiary of electronics corporation Panasonic, has been chosen to provide inflight entertainment and connectivity (IFEC) to Air China’s fleet of Airbus A350 aircraft.
The deal between PAC and Air China, one of the major airlines of the People’s Republic of China, was announced earlier this week.
Explaining the reasons for the investment, Hideo Nakano, chief executive officer of Panasonic Avionics Corporation, said: “Because the airline’s route structure includes very long flights to all seven continents, it needed an IFEC solution that would help keep passengers entertained and offer new opportunities for it to generate revenue.”
Personalization for passengers
The deal will therefore see the Panasonic Avionics Corporation provide its eX3 inflight entertainment for ten Air China A350 aircraft, with the first installations anticipated by December 2017.
“With eX3, Air China will offer its passengers a memorable experience that lets them watch movies and television, listen to music or connect to their favorite social media applications like WeChat,” Nakano added.
Indeed, the eX3 package supposedly includes audio and video on demand, a content library that can offer up to 300 movies, 200 TV shows, games, music, and a moving map. The technology is aimed at delivering a more personalized experience for passengers in order to garner brand loyalty by allowing a seamless transition from airport to aircraft.
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Soaring numbers of connected aircraft
In addition to these improved entertainment services, the deal also involves the provision of connectivity. PAC claims it will also offer its global connectivity services, which will allow Air China passengers to keep in touch with friends, families, co-workers and current events while in the air.
Panasonic already operates connectivity services in 210 countries, including China, and provides inflight entertainment systems to more than 1,350 aircraft including some of those owned by AirFrance, American Airlines and British Airways.
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Disclaimer: Panasonic Avionics Corporation is a sponsor of the 2nd annual Internet of Aviation conference. Further use cases involving PAC will be discussed by the company’s senior director, Jon Norris at London Heathrow in November.
