France’s Thales to upgrade Air India’s inflight entertainment system
NEW DELHI : Tata group-backed Air India has selected Paris-headquartered aerospace company Thales to upgrade its wide-body aircraft’s entertainment system to include wifi and display screens that can be connected to passengers’ wireless hearing devices via bluetooth.
Air India has selected Thales’ AVANT Up in-flight entertainment system for the upgrade, the company announced on Monday. The deal terms weren’t disclosed.
Thales will upgrade and retrofit Air India’s fleet of 40 Boeing B777 and B787 aircraft, starting in 2024 and continuing through next year.
The French company will also install the system on Air India’s 11 new Airbus and Boeing aircraft. The delivery of these 11 aircraft will commence in 2025.
Thales will offer 3D map and immersive route-based programming and 4K QLED HDR displays, which will include high-speed charging ports, wifi, and Bluetooth connectivity, the French company said.
“India is the fastest-growing aviation market in the world, with huge potential for further growth. This sets the stage for airlines to elevate overall flying experience of passengers,” said Ashish Saraf, vice-president and country director for India, Thales.
Thales has been in India since 1953, starting with a partnership in the radar domain with Bharat Electronics Ltd.
“This latest inflight entertainment technology will allow us to stay at the forefront of aviation technology and will help us provide our passengers with a unique onboard entertainment system,” said Rajesh Dogra, chief customer experience officer, Air India.
The airline, which recently inducted wide-body A350 aircraft, is preparing to launch it on medium and long-haul destinations. It has unveiled new amenity kits for first and business class passengers by Italian luxury brand Ferragamo, and refreshed amenity kits by US-based Tumi for premium economy passengers.
Air India will also provide amenity kits to economy passengers on ultra long-haul flights.
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Published: 19 Feb 2024, 06:27 PM IST
Ganesh
http://ganesh@finplay.inFinance enthusiast, Mutual fund expert.