Japan’s All Nippon Airways (ANA) to deploy wireless IFE on additional Q400 aircraft serving domestic and regional routes with Bluebox Wow

Dunfermline, UK | February 28, 2019– From 1st March, All Nippon Airways (ANA), Japan’s largest and 5-Star airline for six consecutive years, will deploy Bluebox’s portable wireless IFE platform – Bluebox Wow – across 13 of the airline’s Bombardier Dash 8 (Q400) aircraft. These are operated from regional hubs such as Itami, Fukuoka, Chūbu Centrair International, and Chitose airports.

“We are delighted that ANA has put its trust in Bluebox to provide additional wireless IFE service in its Q400 fleet with Bluebox Wow, and contribute to its high-quality passenger experience,” said Kevin Clark, CEO, Bluebox. “It is an honour to be selected by this award-winning airline, and we are looking forward to delivering engaging IFE content to ANA’s passengers’ devices through Bluebox Wow.”

Bluebox Wow provides wireless content streamed to passenger devices in any aircraft cabin, including up to 1.6 terabytes of film, TV, audio, games and other digital content, accessed through any web browser. With a remarkably low cost of ownership, Bluebox Wow is a stand-alone, portable, lunchbox-sized unit stowed securely in overhead bins.

Lake Forest, CA | January 29, 2016– Panasonic Avionics (Panasonic), the world leader in inflight entertainment and communications, and All Nippon Airways CO., LTD (ANA) today announced a partnership to launch ANA SKY Live TV and broadband Internet services on domestic aircraft that fly routes across Japan.

ANA Sky Live TV includes three unique channels of Japanese news, sports and other popular programming from JSAT Corporation’s Sky PerfecTV! platform. Passengers will be able to watch general sports programming with Nittele G+, catch the latest news updates from Nippon TV News 24 and follow live football programming on Sukasaka!.

In addition to exclusive live television, ANA’s new experience also offers high-speed connectivity, which allows guests to stay connected and productive while they fly. Passengers will be able to use their own personal devices to access email; stay in touch with family, friends, and social media networks; and browse the Internet. This service will be further enhanced with music, television shows and other content that can be wirelessly streamed to mobile devices.

Paul Margis, President and Chief Executive Officer of Panasonic Avionics, said, “Today’s launch is the direct result of our long-standing, close relationship with ANA. From the beginning, our goal was to deliver an integrated and connected experience that keeps passengers immersed and engaged in ANA’s inflight experience. The broadband Wi-Fi and unique live television content is a first for Japan, and we are proud and honoured to partner with ANA on this exciting, new passenger amenity.”

Koji OKA, Vice President, Products & Services, All Nippon Airways said, “We wanted to push the envelope to ensure the best inflight experience for our customers. With a line-up of exciting television programming, enhanced with Internet access and other communications services, we’ve created a truly unique experience for our customers. We look forward to working with Panasonic on future technologies that even further improve the experience we offer to our guests.”

About the Service
The ANA WiFi Service and ANA SKY LIVE TV will utilize Panasonic Avionics Corporation’s eXConnect and eXTV services via satellite owned and operated by SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation.

• ANA becomes the world’s first airline to reach milestone

Seattle, WA | January 11, 2016– Boeing [NYSE:BA] and ANA (All Nippon Airways) today celebrated the airline’s 100,000th revenue flight with the 787 Dreamliner during a gate ceremony at Sea-Tac International Airport. The milestone marks yet another record for ANA as it becomes the first airline in the world to reach 100,000 787 flights.

“The 787 Dreamliner has played an important role especially in forming the backbone of our international fleet,” said Osamu Shinobe, president and CEO, ANA. “Reaching the 100,000th revenue flight milestone with the 787 Dreamliner is a significant milestone for ANA. As the largest customer of the 787, we look to forward to introducing the entire family of Dreamliners into our fleet as we aim to celebrate another 100,000 flights and beyond.”

ANA was the launch customer of the 787 Dreamliner family and in 2011 became the first airline to introduce the innovative airplane to passengers around the world. Since then, the fuel-efficient airplane has enabled ANA to launch new routes worldwide, including North America, Europe and Southeast Asia. With this milestone, ANA has accumulated approximately a quarter of all 787 revenue flights.

“We are honored to celebrate this important milestone with ANA, especially here in Seattle,” said Ray Conner, president and CEO, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “ANA is a valued Boeing customer and has been a tremendous partner on the 787 program. This milestone demonstrates the strength of our long-standing relationship and we look forward to celebrating many more milestones with ANA going forward.”

ANA operates the world’s largest Dreamliner fleet with 44 787s, including both the 787-8 and the longer 787-9. The airline has 39 unfilled 787 orders, including for the longest and newest member of the 787 family, the 787-10, in addition to 20 777-9X airplanes.

The Boeing 787 Dreamliner is a family of technologically advanced, super-efficient airplanes that bring big-jet ranges to the middle of the market. To date, the 787 has flown more than 75 million passengers on more than 350 routes around the world, including more than 90 new nonstop routes opened through its efficiency.

• ANA Combines Connectivity, Live Television, and Best–‐In–‐Class Inflight Entertainment to Connect Passengers to a Unique Entertainment Experience

Tokyo, Japan | April 28, 2015– All Nippon Airways (ANA), which is Japan’s largest airline, has received its first B787-9 aircraft with Panasonic’s inflight entertainment (IFE), live television and broadband Wi-Fi from Panasonic Avionics Corporation.

ANA’s new Dreamliner will have the full suite of the world’s best inflight entertainment and connectivity solutions from Panasonic, including its industry-leading live television product, eXTV. The service will give ANA passengers opportunities to view a host of live channels during their flight, including NHK World Premium, CNN and Sport 24, allowing them to keep up with both news and live sporting events.

In addition to live television, ANA passengers will also be able to purchase Wi-Fi access to browse the internet and send emails using Panasonic’s eXConnect service. The 787-9 aircraft will also feature eX3, Panasonic’s most advanced inflight entertainment system.

Mr Koji Oka, Director of Products and Services Strategy for ANA said, “For years our passengers have enjoyed an incredible entertainment experience through our partnership with Panasonic, and with our new 787-9 aircraft, we wanted to elevate this experience to a whole new level. With a powerful mix of early window content, live television and international Wi-Fi, we’re setting a new standard for air travel, and we are proud to partner with Panasonic.”

Panasonic Avionics Corporation President and Chief Executive Officer Paul Margis said, “ANA’s goal was to create something truly unique for their passengers. Together, we have combined the world’s most advanced inflight entertainment technology to offer a connected seatback experience that includes multiple channels of real-time news, the world’s most popular sporting events and other television programming. The result is a one-of-a-kind experience for their passengers.”

Japan, France | January 30, 2015– ANA Holdings has ordered seven more A321 aircraft (four A321ceo with Sharklets and three A321neo), in addition to the firm order for 30 A320neo Family (seven A320neo and 23 A321neo) placed in July 2014.

The latest agreement brings ANA’s total order for the A320 Family to 37 aircraft which will gradually replace its existing single aisle fleet. ANA will be the first Japanese operator of both Sharklet-equipped A321ceo and A321neo.

“We are extremely pleased that such a prestigious airline as Japan’s ANA, has placed repeat orders for our A320 Family aircraft. By selecting our single-aisle aircraft, ANA is investing in the best in class, securing excellent cabin comfort as well as operational efficiency for its future,” said John Leahy, Airbus Chief Operating Officer Customers.

ANA became an Airbus customer in 1987, when it ordered ten A320s. In 1995 ANA also selected the larger A321, with a total of seven orders.

While passengers benefit from the A321’s state-of-the-art cabin design, wider seats and enhanced comfort, airlines profit from the unique operational flexibility of Airbus’ single-aisle aircraft. The A320 Family is the world’s best-selling single aisle product line with more than 11,500 orders to date and nearly 6,400 aircraft delivered to 400 customers and operators worldwide. Thanks to its widest cabin, all members of the A320 Family offer the industry’s best level of comfort in all classes and Airbus’ 18-inch wide seats in economy as standard.

Geneva, Switzerland | February 26, 2014–

OnAir’s Wi-Fi connectivity is set to revolutionise ANA’s onboard experience by giving passengers access to a free, constantly refreshed infotainment portal. The portal contains both English and Japanese content, from a range of categories including news, business, arts and culture, technology, and sports. The content is constantly updated via satellite connectivity.

Alongside the infotainment portal, passengers using Internet OnAir will be able to use their smartphone, tablets and laptops to stay in touch with the world 35,000 feet below. They can send emails, update their Facebook page, tweet, and surf the internet and more, just as they would use a hotspot on the ground. ANA is set to launch its OnAir Wi-Fi service on selected international flights.

ANA is a prominent world carrier and is our first customer in Japan. It was voted Airline of the Year for 2013 by Air Transport World. In 2012, it carried 45 million passengers, making it the largest airline in Japan by passenger numbers. ANA flies to 31 international and 50 domestic cities, with a fleet of 232 aircraft serving a network of 175 routes.

ANA has opted for OnAir because it is the only provider offering consistent global coverage. OnAir has a unique network of regulatory authorizations from over 100 countries and more than 350 roaming agreements with mobile network operators. These are complimented by Inmarsat SwiftBroadband, the only satellite network specifically designed to provide consistent global coverage. OnAir’s cost-effective, scalable solutions are ready for future technologies such as GX.

Internet OnAir is being retrofitted to ANA B767-300 and B777-300 aircraft. The service will be provided in partnership with JSAT MOBILE Communications Inc., a joint venture of SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation and Inmarsat Solutions.  It will be introduced on selected flights between Japan and Asia, before being added onto other European and North American routes.

“We are very excited to be expanding our Asia business,” said Ian Dawkins, OnAir CEO. “Passengers now expect to fly in a connected aircraft, and ANA has recognised and acted on this. New services like those which enable passengers to access on demand content and live streaming mean that it is a very exciting time to be introducing connectivity onto your aircraft.”

The ANA announcement also marks the first time a B767-300 has been retrofitted with OnAir services. This means that OnAir’s services are now available on all types of aircraft flown by the world’s major airlines.

Laptop interface: how the portal looks when accessed on a laptop

 

Smartphone interface: the mobile specific version of the portal

– ends –

• Japan’s largest airline relies on Sirax for optimizing its revenue accounting processes

Kelsterbach, Germany | January 16, 2014– Japan’s largest airline All Nippon Airways (ANA) will be using the Sirax IT solution from Lufthansa Systems for managing its revenues. An five-year contract to this effect was signed recently. The core functionality provided by Sirax enables ANA to cover the full spectrum of modern revenue accounting processes including interline billing and reduce costs significantly in this area.

“By using Sirax to handle our revenue accounting, we achieve flexible control of our revenues while generating sustainable cost savings. Lufthansa Systems impressed us with the accelerated availability of our financial data in Sirax and the professionalism shown in rolling out the new system. This project will be challenging for us because we will be using Sirax for both international and domestic revenue accounting processes and Lufthansa Systems will support this project.” said Yukihiko Sasaki, Managing Director Portfolio Management Innovation & IT Strategy from ANA.

The Sirax AirFinance Platform from Lufthansa Systems is the first integrated platform to optimize all of an airline’s financial processes. It has enabled Lufthansa Systems’ customers to achieve considerable savings in their finance department. Leading carriers who deployed this integrated finance solution were able to reduce their operating costs in this area by up to 45 percent and total costs by more than 35 percent. Lufthansa Systems works closely with IATA to ensure that the solution not only meets common standards but also covers the latest developments such as SIS (Simplified Interline Settlement) and EMD (Electronic Miscellaneous Document).

The Sirax revenue accounting solution speeds up accounting processes by automatically checking ticket sales against actual flight data. It also delivers precise, timely information for management and accounting staff.

“We are proud to expand our cooperation with ANA. As Japan’s largest airline and one of the leading airlines in Asia, ANA is a strategically important regional partner to us and the entire Lufthansa Group,” said Olivier Krüger, SVP Regional Management Asia/Pacific at Lufthansa Systems.

– Asia Pacific carriers select SwiftBroadband for passenger Wi-Fi connectivity supplied by Inmarsat partner, OnAir – ANA to deploy new in-flight Wi-Fi service on internation routes from mid-2013 – Cebu Pacific Airway to provide internet services on its Airbus A330 fleet

London, United Kingdom | July 10, 2012/PRNewswire/– Inmarsat , the leading provider of global mobile satellite communications services, today announced that SwiftBroadband(TM) will be deployed as the satellite backbone for inflight internet services on two airlines in the Asia Pacific region.

Japanese air carrier ANA will deploy SwiftBroadband on its international routes from mid-2013. ANA is one of Japan’s leading airlines and a member of the Star Alliance. From next year, Inmarsat-enabled wi-fi services will be available on all the airline’s international routes, which mainly serve American and European destinations.

The SwiftBroadband service is being provided by Inmarsat distribution partner OnAir, which will deploy its ‘Internet OnAir’ wi-fi capability in each aircraft. The agreement initially covers 28 aircraft, made up of a mix of Boeing 777-300ERs and Boeing 767-300ERs.

OnAir is also providing inflight connectivity for Cebu Pacific Air, the Philippines’ largest flag carrier and the first low cost carrier (LCC) in Southeast Asia. Starting with deployment in its Airbus A330 fleet, it will roll out Internet OnAir to passengers during 2013. The airline also has the option to install wi-fi on its fleet of Airbus A320 aircraft, for short haul flights, in the next phase.

Once in service, Cebu Pacific passengers will be able to access the Internet while in-flight and make calls using Voice over IP (VoIP) applications via wi-fi enabled devices, including Android(TM) phones and tablets, iPhone®, iPad®, Blackberry®, and laptops. Manilla-based Cebu Pacific Air will be the first long-haul LCC in South East Asia to provide inflight internet access.

Ian Dawkins, CEO of OnAir, commented: “The decision by these airlines to select Internet OnAir is a strong indication of their shared vision and support for our global inflight connectivity solutions. It is clear that the SwiftBroadband-based service continues to deliver the best-in-class solution by providing what passengers want, at the right price, and with connectivity that is consistent across the globe.”

Ronald Spithout, President of Inmarsat’s Enterprise business unit added: “Both ANA and Cebu Pacific Air are highly-respected airlines that have committed to SwiftBroadband, alongside Emirates, Etihad Airways, Qantas, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines and Virgin Atlantic. This is a significant endorsement of the ability of SwiftBroadband to deliver inflight data connectivity for passengers, with a service quality commensurate with a world-class operator.”

SwiftBroadband is the most successful broadband data solution in the airline industry, with over 2,500 aircraft systems operating on routes all over the world. It provides services to both cockpit and cabin, delivering multiple simultaneous channels of IP data to support internet browsing, Virtual Private Networks, email, telephony, VoIP, and text messaging.