British Airways Increases Its Order for Thales’s In-Flight Entertainment Systems
Aircraft Interiors, Hamburg 31 March 2009 – Thales, a leader in In-Flight Entertainment systems, is pleased to announce that British Airways has decided to purchase additional TopSeries systems for a retrofit installation on eighteen Boeing 777 aircraft. This order comes after an earlier announcement when Thales and British Airways agreed to a multimillion pound deal that will put the Thales’s TopSeries In-Flight Entertainment system on the airlines new delivery and next generation aircraft. The selection for these existing B777 aircraft provides all passengers a consistent travel experience in line with the new aircraft orders.
With bigger, clearer LCD screens, the TopSeries system will give passengers access to more than 100 movies, 300 programmes and 400 CDs as well as a range of radio programmes and podcasts whenever they want. The system will also include a range of interactive and multiplayer games as well as several e-learning applications, which will allow passengers to enjoy a web-like experience from their seat. Other features include:
- Enhanced wide screen sizes
- USB and RCA jack ports at each seat throughout the cabin for personal electronic device (PED) connection and charging
- In-seat laptop power plugs throughout the cabin
- Noise cancelling headsets in all premium class seats
- New 3-D interactive moving map applications in all cabins
“Thales is very pleased that British Airways has elected to extend the scope of our endeavor,” said Mark Barclay, Vice President and Managing Director at Thales UK’s aerospace business said: “The airline will take delivery of its first aircraft with the TopSeries installed in 2010.”
Thales’s IFE Systems
Thales entered the In-Flight Entertainment (IFE) business in the late 90s and today employs 700 + dedicated professionals with decades of IFE experience. Its IFE headquarter office is located in California with regional offices in France, China and Singapore. Thales is the fastest growing IFE supplier with over 1,000 aircraft commitments in just 5 years. Thales offers a comprehensive in-flight entertainment solution covering four main areas:
- TopSeries Inflight Entertainment Systems
- TopConnect Suite of Connectivity Solutions
- TopEffects Digital Media and Services
- TopServices Global Service and Support
For more information about Thales’s In-Flight Entertainment Systems visit www.thales-ifs.com .
About Thales
Thales is a leading international electronics and systems group, addressing Aerospace and Space, Defence and Security markets worldwide. The Group’s civil and military businesses develop in parallel and share a common base of technologies to serve a single objective: the security of people, property and nations. Thales’s leading-edge technology is supported by 22,500 R&D engineers who offer a capability unmatched in Europe to develop and deploy field-proven mission-critical information systems. The Group builds its growth on its unique multidomestic strategy based on trusted partnerships with national customers and market players, while leveraging its global expertise to support local technology and industrial development. Thales employs 68,000 people in 50 countries with 2008 revenues of €12.7 billion.
Power, Power, Power... it used to be location, location, location, but with the recent airline announcements to expand off-aircraft data services (internet, mobile phone, SMS, etc), Astronics is excited about the complementary nature of these systems with our world leading EmPower® in-seat PED power systems. Most airlines installing new data services on their aircraft are also expanding EmPower® into all seats on their fleet because they realize depleted passenger batteries do not make money.”