Safran Passenger Innovations Delivers RAVE IFEC for China Airlines A321NEO
Safran Passenger Innovations (SPI) is thrilled to announce the delivery of China Airline’s A321NEO. This aircraft is equipped with the latest RAVE Ultra displays in 13.3” and 15.6” as well as the newest software platform, RAVE OS.
China Airlines is very excited to offer their passengers a cutting-edge experience with full cabin Bluetooth audio paired with Safran Passenger Innovation’s RAVE OS platform. This first-rate experience is complete with 4K picture quality, second screen, multi-tasking, picture in picture, and in-seat wireless charging. In addition, kids map, and other activities geared toward China Airlines’ younger passengers, are among their latest offerings. VP, Corporate Development Office, Jeremy Chang, says “China Airlines is delighted to be working with Safran Passenger Innovations to bring about the future of inflight experience today and deliver the best product to our customer.”
China Airlines seeks to create a touch-free journey environment for their passengers. By implementing RAVE’s zero-touch features for IFE control, China Airlines can help reduce the risk of cross-infection in the post COVID-19 era.
The China Airlines A321neo passenger aircraft is configured with 180 seats including 12 Premium Business Class and 168 Economy seats. The new fleet emphasizes spacious, comfortable cabin interiors, improved energy and fuel efficiency and is continuing to expand its modernized fleet throughout Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, and cross-strait routes.
VP, Products and Strategy, Ben Asmar, says “Congratulations to China Airlines! We are honored to partner with China Airlines to deliver a world class IFEC solution, using the latest consumer technology. This, paired with the beautiful cabin interiors developed by the China Airlines team, delivers an outstanding inflight experience for their passengers.”
Upcoming APEX Tech Committee Meeting
The upcoming APEX Tech Committee is scheduled for Wednesday May 18, 2022: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM PST. The meeting is being hosted by Panasonic in Irvine, California at their new office complex. This one-day event is reverting to a ‘working style’ TC meeting, focusing on panel discussions with free-flow of information. The APEX Technology Committee invites airline IFE and connectivity managers new and old to join with the providers of IFE to see what’s new and what is changing in the content delivery ecosystem.
While the pandemic has been underway, many airline personnel changes have taken place in passenger experience departments. This is also true of IFE executives at the major studios. But not only have people changed—so have business models, technology, and the way we get content to the aircraft.
As a result, TC agenda for the May meeting is content focused, and the co-chairs of the committee (Michael Childers, Rich Salter & Mary Rogozinski), supported by the TC Leadership Team, decided that the theme for the Spring Tech Meeting should be “The Changing Content Delivery Supply Chain: Back to Basics”. This not only enables the Tech Committee to offer a “101” kind of IFE workshop for new airline managers, but also provides an opportunity to bring both new and old IFE managers up to date on the changes in the content delivery ecosystem that have occurred during the pandemic.
The whole entertainment and media industry has undergone a paradigm change over the past 2 ½ years. There have been regime changes at some of the major studios, as well as consolidation. And the direct to consumer (D2C) market now has primacy, significantly reducing the gap between theatrical exhibition and personal viewing. Consequently, content acquisition and licensing has changed, and the exhibition windows have changed. Connectivity and IFE are on a trajectory to converge. IFE systems are evolving into “Digital Experience Platforms” (DXPs) and the passenger experience is becoming curated by “Digital Experience Management (DXM)”.
Also, new regulations are emerging involving content authentication and provenance. Inflight Entertainment content delivery is moving into the cloud and content delivery is becoming automated. The demand for more satellite bandwidth will inevitably rise as passengers directly subscribe to more D2C services, blurring the line between traditional IFE and connectivity.
The Technology Committee will offer two ways to participate:
- The event is planned as an in-person meeting, offering the opportunity to engage face-to-face, and–for many–the opportunity to meet for the first time.
- For those who prefer to attend remotely, the Technology Committee plans to host the event virtually as well via a Zoom or webinar format.
Additionally, the APEX 0415 Working Group will give a progress report on codifying AVI as the go-forward codec in IFE encoding.
If you want to learn more about D2C, Digital Experience Platforms, Digital Experience Management and the future of IFEC this is a must attend event! Log on to www.apex.aero for more information on how to register. We hope to see you there – in person or via Zoom!
New Industry-First Innovations For Commercial Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles (UAVS) Driven By Inmarsat With Dimetor And Bellweather
With its focus on industry-first collaborations for commercial uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs), Inmarsat expanded the Partner Network for its Velaris UAV connectivity solution with the addition of software company Dimetor, which facilitates Beyond Visual Line Of Sight (BVLOS) operations in cellular networks, and Bellwether Industries, an Urban Air Mobility (UAM) solutions provider for intra-city travel.
The Partner Network was established six months ago to encourage innovative collaborations using Inmarsat’s ground-breaking Velaris connectivity solution, which allows commercial UAVs – commonly known as drones – to operate long distance flights and access various applications, such as real-time monitoring, to ensure safe integration with aircraft in commercial airspace. In addition, it allows a single pilot to remotely operate multiple UAVs at scale, making operations more commercially viable.
As the latest additions to the fast-growing Velaris Partner Network, Dimetor and Bellwether Industries have joined existing members Altitude Angel, a leading Uncrewed Traffic Management (UTM) technology provider, and Harvest Technology Group, a specialist in ultra-low bandwidth livestreaming technology.
Dimetor joins Velaris Partner Network to create affordable, efficient BVLOS UAV solution
Dimetor’s AirborneRF solution brings together live radio network data from terrestrial Mobile Network Operators (MNO) with UAV airspace control systems. By adding Inmarsat’s Velaris satellite communications capabilities, UAV operators will have access to integrated terrestrial and space-based datalink communications for least-cost, high reliability data routing at any place, any time, allowing UAVs to be reliably controlled within a three-dimensional airspace safety corridor.
Using the latest high-performance computational technologies and Inmarsat’s communications spectrum, Dimetor will aggregate 4G and 5G data for flight planning, risk assessment, flight clearing and operation, adding satellite communications to its data visualization to calculate and display routes that provide the best coverage to support flight plans. This will achieve an assured 99.9% uptime in all types of weather and satisfy regulatory requirements through dual dissimilar redundancy.
As part of its UAV roadmap, Inmarsat will introduce a combined L-band satcom and LTE hybrid terminal that will be integral to the delivery of the solution. The newly-developed terminal will create integrated terrestrial and satellite communications that provides an affordable solution for UAV operators.
Inmarsat’s Anthony Spouncer added: “Partnering with Dimetor is a crucial next step in the development of accessible Beyond Visual Line of Sight UAV solutions, particularly those that come at an attainable price point without compromising on reach and quality of coverage. The combination of 4G and 5G with Inmarsat’s highly reliable, always-on ELERA network, visualized by AirborneRF, will be the best way to plan efficient Line of Sight (LOS) and BVLOS operations. This will be a game changer for the industry, offering world-first technologies within an affordable and efficient solution for UAV operators.”
Thomas Wana, Dimetor’s CTO and Co-Founder, said: “Our partnership with Inmarsat is a key milestone in progressing BVLOS solutions for UAV operators. Together, we are working to expand and bring AirborneRF to the market, combining our capabilities and expertise to create a platform that caters to the evolving wants and needs of customers. We’re excited to see what we can achieve as part of the Velaris Partner Network, and look forward to close collaboration with the Inmarsat team for years to come.”
Anthony Spouncer, Inmarsat’s Senior Director of UAVs and Uncrewed Traffic Management, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Dimetor and Bellwether as members of our Velaris Partner Network, especially at this incredibly buoyant time in the BVLOS and urban air mobility spaces. Such innovative collaborations, powered by the unparalleled capabilities of Inmarsat’s ELERA L-band satellite network, are fantastic news for uncrewed aviation and will directly benefit customers across this growing industry.
Bellwether joins Velaris Partner Network to ensure safety and harmony in intra-city travel
To revolutionize intra-city travel, Bellwether is bringing to market Volar, an Urban Air Mobility aircraft for personal and private mobility, designed to fly anyone at any time between any points in a city. Volar’s user-centric design and city compatibility aims to redefine future lifestyles and reduce complications often associated with city transportation, helping make stress-free intra-city transportation a reality, sooner rather than later.
The industry-first collaboration between Inmarsat and Bellwether Industries will explore how satellite communications can optimize the future of intra-city transportation services, with a focus on safety, regulation and innovation. Inmarsat’s Velaris connectivity solution and the company’s existing expertise in aviation safety systems will enable Bellwether’s Volar to safely and seamlessly integrate with commercial airspace no matter where it flies, with accurate positional information reported back from onboard satellite navigation systems, and the ability to combine and harmonize this data for Uncrewed Traffic Management. Additionally, Bellwether will gain access to regulatory and air traffic management expertise from Inmarsat and Velaris partners throughout the design and implementation process.
Kai-Tse Lin, Bellwether’s Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer, said: “Inmarsat’s contribution is extremely important to the future development of Bellwether’s Onboard Vehicle Management System and airspace integration. It’s crucial that the operation of our Volar urban aircraft is a simplified and user-friendly experience, making commuting in a Volar easier than driving your car.”
Inmarsat’s Anthony Spouncer said: “Our partnership with Bellwether will be critical in the development of safe and efficient intra-city transportation services with passenger experience as their driving force. In collaboration with an urban air mobility platform manufacturer, Velaris will play a key role in making safety and efficiency industry-standard features for the intra-city transportation sector. Together we’re defining a new category of transportation that is passenger orientated by design, prioritizing safety and regulation.”
Anuvu Teams up with Marvel Entertainment to Bring New Inflight Games to Airline Passengers
Anuvu announced a new collaboration with Marvel Entertainment. The multi-year deal brings several of Marvel’s popular characters to airline passengers around the globe, building on Anuvu’s existing collaboration with Disney.
Working closely with Marvel, Anuvu will bring some of the company’s most notable franchises to passengers’ inflight entertainment experience. The collaboration comes at a time when Anuvu is focused on supporting airlines in future-proofing their media and content strategies, as passengers demand increased flexibility and convenience, including streaming capabilities. The new deal allows airlines to provide Marvel’s games through their seatback entertainment systems or stream directly to passengers’ personal devices while onboard the aircraft in the air.
“Anuvu has had a longstanding relationship with Disney for over 15 years. Expanding our collaboration to include Marvel content and characters is a natural next step,” says Mike Pigott, EVP of Connectivity at Anuvu. “By broadening our trusted and valued relationship, we expand our gaming catalog so that airlines can deliver flexible, affordable, and best-in-class gaming experiences to their passengers.”
Anuvu both licenses and develops games with a library that boasts 175 popular games including top video-game and mobile game brands.
Inflight connectivity is about getting data to and from a passenger’s laptop, or getting their voice to the right ear, wherever that might be. The technology behind it may not be interesting to passengers, but it is technological developments, such as TriaGnoSys’ new GSM roaming solution, that drive increased efficiencies, reduce costs and thereby enable airlines to offer more connectivity to more people.”