• Milestone marked with special livery on Norwegian Air Shuttle 737-800

Seattle, WA | February 11, 2014/PRNewswire/– Boeing’s [NYSE: BA] passenger-inspired 737 Boeing Sky Interior marked its 1,000th milestone delivery with Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA.

The 737 Boeing Sky Interior features modern sculpted sidewalls and window reveals, LED lighting that enhances the sense of spaciousness and larger pivoting overhead stowage bins.

“The Boeing Sky Interior is delighting passengers and our airline customers,” said Beverly Wyse, vice president and general manager, 737 program, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “It’s adding even more value to the Next-Generation 737, which already delivers the best economics, reliability and fuel efficiency in its class.”

Norwegian Air Shuttle was one of the launch customers for the 737 Boeing Sky Interior. This is the airline’s 48th Next-Generation 737-800 with the new interior, making it the largest airline operating with the 737 Boeing Sky Interior in Europe.

“Our goal is to provide passengers with the ultimate experience in comfort and convenience when they fly with Norwegian,” said Bjorn Kjos, chief executive officer of Norwegian Air Shuttle. “The Boeing Sky Interior on the Next-Generation 737 helps us to deliver just that.”

A passenger survey conducted by Norwegian Air Shuttle soon after the airline began service with the new look found that more than half of respondents rate the 737 Boeing Sky Interior more comfortable than the standard interior. And passengers reported they feel “happier” in the new interior.

Since the first 737 Boeing Sky Interior was delivered in October 2010, more than 60 customers have ordered the new interior.

Approximately 85 percent of Boeing’s backlog of more than 1,900 Next-Generation 737s will be delivered with the 737 Boeing Sky Interior. The passenger-preferred interior will be standard on Boeing’s newest family of single-aisle airplanes, the 737 MAX.

This week the IFExpress Hot Topic is one of our mixed bag of stories we found while casting about the IFEC industry and we thought we would start of with a bit of IFExpress news. Next week, our Hot Topic will cover one of most important products to ever grace the passenger cabin experience – the Boeing Sky Interior. We trolled the world of aviation, interviewed experts and talked to suppliers to get the big picture for our readers, and we have to confess, it was not easy. We will tell you why next week but the “look and feel” of the BSI is one of the most important airplane design developments to come along in recent years. When was the last time you sat for a few hours in your assigned airline seat and “felt” good about the experience? Well, that’s what the latest trend in flying is all about; having passengers “feel” good about the experience. Here is what one Boeing executive said about the concept: Even though the 787 is not a jumbo-it will carry about two hundred fifty passengers, three hundred fewer than the A380-it appears to have the spatial qualities of one. The door opens onto a vaulted lobby rather than a cramped vestibule. And there is a surprising amount of light, thanks to the single most revolutionary feature of the 787: its huge windows. Wider and notably taller-extending from the armrest to above the top of the seat-they instantly erase that sense of walking into a claustrophobic tube. Moreover, they invite us to revisit the idea of flying as an ever-changing spectacle of earth and sky-like having an IMAX of one’s own.” We plan on covering what Boeing studied how they went about redesigning their cabins to change how you feel on their aircraft. Here is a hint… the lighting says it all! Stay Tuned on this one.

Infographics deliver a lot of information in a small space and they are eye-catching. The first ones we saw some 10 years ago were at Boeing and IFExpress just found their newest one – The Commercial Aviation Forecast 2013 – 2032. The first IFEC info graphics we saw were at the OnAir booth at AIX and you can see more here: Global Spending On Air Travel in 2011 [INFOGRAPHIC]. You can build your own with a free computer app from infogr.am – lets see what your company can do?

We asked a long-time DRM expert on the APEX Technology Committee,
responsible for drafting many of the industry’s digital delivery standards including content security, assures us that there are no DRM solutions acceptable to the preponderance of Hollywood studios that do not require an app or plug-in to implement. Rumors that recent Hollywood movies might be provided in IFE without DRM or without app-based DRM are incorrect, he tells us.”

We hear that Eddie Hseih is going to be the new Mr. Panasonic in China, or is that Mr. China in Panasonic?

Afterthought: Here in the Northwestern US, images of salmon are quite commonplace; however, many of our readers might not have the opportunity to fly in one like we can here.

Note: If you think this has nothing to do with IFE, you are wrong. Alaska just implemented a fleet wide installation of inseat power as we noted last week. We got the image in late!

– Garuda Indonesia to operate Next-Generation 737-800

Seattle, WA | April 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/– Boeing’s (NYSE: BA) popular passenger-inspired 737 Boeing Sky Interior marked its 300th milestone with today’s delivery to Indonesian customer, Garuda Indonesia.
“The superior passenger experience of this spectacular new interior has been well received by our customers and the traveling public,” said Beverly Wyse, 737 vice president and general manager. “Airlines like Garuda tell us that they draw great value from the many practical improvements we have made in the new design and their passengers are ‘wowed’ by the enhancements.”

Since the first 737 Boeing Sky Interior was delivered in October 2010, 65 airlines and leasing companies have ordered the new interior. The innovative Boeing Sky Interior provides airline customers around the world an opportunity to differentiate themselves from their competitors by offering their passengers a memorable, more comfortable flying experience.
Garuda Indonesia, based in Jakarta, is the national carrier of Indonesia. It operates 75 Boeing 737s and three 747-400s. Today’s delivery is Garuda’s fourth Next-Generation 737-800 with the new interior.

“What a fantastic opportunity to be part of this phenomenal milestone for the 737 Boeing Sky Interior,” said Emirsyah Satar, president and chief executive officer of Garuda Indonesia. “With its continuous innovations and best product offerings, the Next-Generation 737-800 not only benefits Garuda with its unmatched operating costs, but it also offers a welcoming and unique flying experience to our valued customers with its unmatched Boeing Sky Interior.”

Drawing from years of research used to design the interior for the 787 Dreamliner, the 737 Boeing Sky Interior features new modern sculpted sidewalls and window reveals that draw passengers’ eyes to the airplane’s windows, giving passengers a greater connection to the flying experience. LED (light emitting diode) lighting enhances the sense of spaciousness and also allows the airline to change the color in the cabin during the flight.
The new design offers larger pivoting overhead stowage bins that add to the openness of the cabin. The bins give more passengers room to store a carry-on roll-aboard near their own seat, adding both extra convenience and extra legroom.

Other features that passengers appreciate are an intuitive placement of switches and call buttons. Boeing redesigned reading-light switches so passengers can find them more easily and avoid accidentally pressing the flight-attendant call button.

Approximately 85 percent of Boeing’s backlog of more than 2,600 Next-Generation 737s will be delivered with the Boeing Sky Interior. Customers of the 737 MAX also will benefit from the Boeing Sky Interior.

Futuristic Aircraft Cabin Modernizes Onboard Customer Experience

SEATTLE, May 24, 2011 –- Boeing [NYSE: BA] delivered to American Airlines today its first Next-Generation 737-800 featuring the all-new Boeing Sky Interior (BSI). The new aircraft marks a major milestone in American’s commitment to improving and modernizing the customer experience through the execution of its fleet renewal plan.

The Boeing Sky Interior is designed to increase customer comfort onboard and is an important part of American’s ongoing initiative to modernize the look-and-feel of its 737 fleet interiors. The 737-800 BSI aircraft are a strategic part of American’s commitment to invest in products and services that make the travel experience more contemporary and innovative for customers.
Between 2007 and 2011, American Airlines expects to invest more than $5.5 billion in new aircraft and onboard and facility enhancement projects to improve the customer experience.

“American Airlines has made a significant investment to enrich the flying experience for our customers through the purchase of new aircraft and the refurbishment of our existing fleet,” said Virasb Vahidi, American’s Chief Commercial Officer. “At American, we are focused on providing a differentiated customer experience, with a distinct focus on best delivering what premium customers value most – world-class products and services. The delivery of the first 737-800 with the new Boeing Sky Interior is our most recent step to deliver on this commitment.”

The new 737-800 BSI interior offers several unique features, including larger overhead bins – modeled after the 787 Dreamliner’s pivoting bins – that pivot down and out. The innovative design allows the bins to hold 48 more bags than standard overhead bins and four more than current non-BSI aircraft with larger bins. Sculpted sidewalls provide customers with a contemporary feeling of spaciousness and updated window reveals make the windows appear larger. Brighter and longer-lasting LED lighting can be programmed to create different effects during the flight such as a soft blue sky overhead. Intuitive placement of switches and call buttons and improved sound quality are innovative features that will enhance the customer experience. Additionally, the new 737s offer 16 First Class seats and 144 in Economy Class for a total of 160 seats on each aircraft.

“This new airplane will be a great addition to American Airlines existing 737 fleet,” said Marlin Dailey, vice president of Sales and Marketing for Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “American Airlines is leveraging all the performance benefits of the Next-Generation 737 to enhance the its competitive position, while providing a new, more comfortable and inviting interior.”

As part of its fleet renewal plan, American began taking delivery of new Boeing 737-800s without BSI in April 2009. The airline received 31 737-800s in 2009, 45 in 2010 and plans to receive 15 in 2011, 28 in 2012 and 11 in 2013.

To provide consistency within the travel experience and further elevate customer comfort onboard, American is updating its existing fleet of Boeing 737s to match the new deliveries without the BSI feature. The interior renovations include the installation of new customized First and Economy Class seats, new cabin interiors, updated inflight entertainment systems and bigger overhead bins to provide more storage throughout the aircraft. American is also updating the interior of its 757 fleet, which will include a new look-and-feel throughout the cabin. Both projects are being handled in-house by American employees at the airline’s Maintenance & Engineering base located in Tulsa, Okla.
Watch a video of American Airlines effort to upgrade the interiors of their Next-Generation 737 fleet here: http://www.boeing.com/Features/2010/06/bca_american_airlines_06_28_10.html

In addition to the enhancements to its 737 planes, American has several fleet renewal efforts already under way. These initiatives highlight the multiple steps American Airlines has taken the past several years to continue investing in its future while it sharpens its focus on modernizing and improving the customer experience through various efforts – including, notably, execution of its fleet renewal plan. They include:
· MD-80 Retirement: The 737 deliveries are designed to replace the MD-80 fleet with more passenger-friendly, fuel-efficient aircraft – lessening the impact on the environment. American intends to retire at least 25 MD-80s in 2011, as part of the company’s plan to continue renewing its fleet, while addressing the current fuel environment. In fact, a 737-800 will burn 35 percent less fuel than an MD-80 on a seat-mile basis.
· 757 Domestic Retrofit: In August 2010, American began enhancing its domestic fleet of 106 Boeing 757-200s with the installation of customized First and Economy Class seats, bigger overhead storage bins and updated inflight entertainment throughout the aircraft. Two additional First Class seats are being added to each 757 aircraft, for a total of 24 seats in the First Class cabin.
· 787-9 Dreamliner: Entering into a purchase agreement with Boeing to acquire an initial 42 of the 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft, with the right to purchase up to 58 additional 787s.
· 777-300ERs: American has five 777-300ERs that are scheduled for delivery in 2012 and 2013, including two additional aircraft for which options were recently exercised. These 777-300ERs will complement American’s fleet, offering additional network flexibility in the future, and providing increased efficiency due to better seat mile economics and performance characteristics.

Boeing Sky Interior Features Provide Enhanced Passenger Comfort On Board

SEATTLE, March 11, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Boeing (NYSE: BA) and Berlin-based German carrier airberlin celebrated this week the delivery of the first Next-Generation 737-700 with the new Boeing Sky Interior. airberlin received its first 737-800 with the new Boeing Sky Interior in mid-February making the airline the first to operate both aircraft types with the new cabin design.

“The features of the new Boeing Sky Interior will provide increased comfort to airberlin passengers both on the 737-800 and on the 737-700,” said Marlin Dailey, vice president of Sales & Marketing for Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “We are proud that airberlin is the first airline to take delivery and operate the new Boeing Sky Interior on a Next-Generation 737-700 model.”

Joachim Hunold, chief executive officer, airberlin said: “The introduction of the new Sky Interior is part of many comfort initiatives we are introducing throughout the airberlin fleet. This shows that we are placing even greater focus on the needs of business travelers and are making airberlin flights even more attractive. The Boeing Sky Interior is also a taste of things to come for airberlin passengers as the design is based on the interior of the Boeing Dreamliner.”

The sculpted sidewalls of the interior provide passengers with a feeling of spaciousness. New window reveals make the windows seem larger. Brighter and longer-lasting LED lighting can be programmed to provide a soft blue sky overhead or to create different effects during the flight. Larger stowage bins pivot down and out. Intuitive placement of switches and call buttons and improved sound quality are further features that enhance the passenger experience.

The delivery of the 737-700 with the new Boeing Sky Interior marks another milestone in the partnership between Boeing and airberlin that goes back to the carrier’s first flight from Berlin Tegel to Palma de Mallorca with a Boeing 707 in 1979. Today the second largest German airline is a valued customer for the Boeing Next-Generation 737 and also has an order for the fuel-efficient 787 Dreamliner as a future addition to its fleet.