Inflight Wi-Fi provider (Gogo) has discontinued its deal to provide roaming Internet access for customers of Boingo airport Wi-Fi, announced in a notice sent to Boingo customers yesterday. In the past, users of Boingo could log on to Gogo with the same password. The company said to it’s customers; “Because you’re a loyal Boingo user who has logged in to the inflight Wi-Fi services provided by our partner Gogo, we thought it was important to let you know that effective June 1, that will no longer be possible.” As an“ease of service deal” only, we suspect more is going on here. The note from Boingo went on: “We’d like to apologize for this change, since we know our customers really appreciated this convenience.” Boingo and Gogo inked a deal in 2011 and Gogo has “opted not to renew its roaming contract with Boingo.” The airport Wi-Fi service provider noted that it still has roaming agreements with Deutsche Telekom, for access on international flights who services nine other international airlines and we were wondering if this cancellation was a notice to the industry that Gogo might be heading in another direction – Airport Wi-Fi? It makes a lot of sense since a ground application at the airport – both before takeoff and upon landing – it could usher in a new line of service and revenue for Gogo… but that is just a guess on our part. Stay Tuned!

Here are a couple news notes from Global Eagle – “IFE Services, a subsidiary of Global Eagle Entertainment (NASDAQ:ENT), announced today that it has developed Iberia’s new inflight entertainment (IFE) content app. Called ‘IberiaOnBoard’, the freely downloadable app allows travellers to check out all of the IFE content available to them on their upcoming Iberia flights. Every movie and TV show is listed by genre and has a trailer with accompanying useful information including synopsis, cast, director, rating, duration and language availability. Music album information lists tracks and their times. A special Kids’ section showcases all of the specially selected children’s content on offer inflight. Mobile app development is just one of many new products Global Eagle Entertainment has introduced to the airline industry recently as the world’s leading inflight entertainment content and connectivity provider continues its focus to innovate on behalf of clients.” And the second “Global Eagle Entertainment Inc. (Nasdaq: ENT) announced today that its subsidiary IFP has entered into a multi-year agreement with Etihad Airways to provide inflight entertainment (IFE) content programming across its entire fleet, as well as to its partner airlines Air Serbia and Air Seychelles. Starting this quarter, IFP will provide a rich and varied program of regional and international content including popular movies, TV shows and audio programming to support the airline’s world-renowned guest experience. “We’re thrilled to have been selected by Etihad Airways for its content services,” added Walé Adepoju, Executive Vice President of Customer Solutions for Global Eagle Entertainment. (Editor’s Note: Strangely, the market has reacted negatively – “Global Eagle Acquisition Corp (NASDAQ:ENT) takes the last spot on today’s list of midday losers. Its price dropped -8.27% even after the announcement that its subsidiary IPF has entered into a multi-year agreement with Etihad Airways to provide inflight entertainment and content programming. In Soros’ investment portfolio since March 2013, ENT’s price has fallen -23.87% YTD,” noted Motley Fool.)

On another note, BE Aerospace just purchased EMTEQ, the LED lighting company who has a large investment in replacement lighting. The very profitable BEA has quite a business in the Boeing Sky Interior and we suspect they may be looking to garner more retrofit LED lighting work. The deals come about a month after B/E said it may be putting itself up for sale as part of “exploring and evaluating” its strategic alternatives. “Demand for comprehensive and integrated solutions for power management, lighting and connectivity within the aircraft cabin is growing,” Amin Khoury, B/E’s chairman and co-chief executive, said in a statement. ”The combination of our lighting and power management systems business with EMTEQ’s highly complementary lighting, cabin management and power systems businesses, as well as their electrical and connectivity expertise, will allow us to expand our product and service offerings in the commercial airliner and business jet markets.”

If you have been wondering why we have been covering the real-time aircraft inflight positioning brouhaha it is because there are a lot of potential links between inflight entertainment hardware (severs for example), and the connectivity platforms and data acquisitions that serve them. Yes, we are out on a limb here but we have been talking to a number of companies, new and some presently in the IFE business, who feel that there is a need to get this job done. While some see the potential of revenues based on position acquisition, weather, system data, and performance information, if data connections to the ground are established, it might fulfill an age-old discussion that claimed that the aircraft is the last remaining un-served node on the airline network. As it turns out, there is some compatibility. A good example is Panasonic’s FlightLink. Compatible or not, companies in our industry are racing to get in the business (or related industries) by acquisition, developing new services, and is some cases, new start-ups. This brings us to a “Stay Tuned” note for an upcoming article on Wisscom. You probably never heard of them but you might in the near future.

Now, while still on the previous subject, IATA Chief, Tony Tyler, in a recent speech referring to safety challenges, said the loss of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 pointed to an immediate need. “A large commercial airliner going missing without a trace for so long is unprecedented in modern aviation. It must not happen again. IATA, ICAO and experts from around the world are working together to identify the best recommendations for improved global tracking. By September, we will deliver draft options to ICAO,” he said. Watch this one.

Recently, an IATA news release noted the following: “The International Air Transport Association (IATA) predicts the global airline industry will generate $18 billion in profits this year, but far from being a cause for cause for celebration, Director General Tony Tyler called this forecast a “challenge.” “The brutal economic reality is that on revenues of $746 billion, we will earn an average net margin of 2.4%,” Tyler said June 2 at the IATA Annual General Meeting in Doha, Qatar. “That’s less than $6 per passenger.” Tyler noted profits are improving, and the average return on invested capital (ROIC) today is 5.4%, higher than it has historically been, but that is short of what he said is the 7-8% ROIC investors demand.” We wonder if future IFE sales have fallout from this development, but it certainly explains the drive for ancillary revenue. Interestingly AIER noted in February 2014, commercial airlines—the buyers of commercial aircraft, the transportation sector’s third major component—hit a new record high in their revenue passenger load factor (the ratio of revenue passenger miles divided by available seat miles in passenger services, a measure of the portion of aircraft seating capacity that is actually sold and utilized).”

A recent article in a communication weekly noted “Rumors have been rampant over recent months regarding Google’s satellite ambitions, which are tied to a desire to increase its information-gathering prowess (think Google Earth and Google Street View) as well as an effort to extend wireless broadband services worldwide and, thus, create a larger market for its other Internet-based products, including search, YouTube and more.” Further, we understand Facebook is also eyeing a similar solution for worldwide social media domination. FierceTech Wireless went on; “I would expect the (Google) constellation to be launched in two phases, with the higher altitude satellites providing complete global coverage, and the lower satellites being added later, in between the initial nine planes, to provide additional capacity. It also seems likely that the system could include inter-satellite crosslinks (within each of the two halves of the constellation) given the near polar orbit that is planned,” he wrote in a blog on his TMF Associates website.” You note, nothing was mentioned about inflight connectivity but watch this space.

We found a very quick synopsis on inflight Wi-Fi installations/pricing – Check it out. And speaking of inflight Wi-Fi, here is a pretty good primer on the subject.

It looks like UAL has selected to use iOS for their content distribution – United Airlines updates iOS app to support exclusive, free in-flight video content

If you plan to go to the APEX EXPO in September (15 – 18) here is your first notice from IFExpress – Registration

Los Angeles, Ca | June 2, 2014– Global Eagle Entertainment Inc. (Nasdaq: ENT) announced today that its subsidiary IFP has entered into a multi-year agreement with Etihad Airways to provide inflight entertainment (IFE) content programming across its entire fleet, as well as to its partner airlines Air Serbia and Air Seychelles.

Starting this quarter, IFP will provide a rich and varied program of regional and international content including popular movies, TV shows and audio programming to support the airline’s world-renowned guest experience.

“We’re thrilled to have been selected by Etihad Airways for its content services,” added Walé Adepoju, Executive Vice President of Customer Solutions for Global Eagle Entertainment. “Etihad represents the epitome of sophisticated flying, and we look forward to enhancing their guests’ experience through an IFE offering which showcases our expertise and commitment to providing outstanding content products and services.”

“As the national airline of the United Arab Emirates and one of the world’s leading premium airlines, Etihad Airways prides itself in providing a superior guest experience which is evocative of our brand,” explained Peter Baumgartner, Chief Commercial Officer at Etihad Airways. “Exceptional entertainment is an integral part of our leading onboard product, and IFP’s compelling content offering and proficient delivery support will make them an outstanding partner for us.”

London, UK | December 13, 2013– As the holiday season approaches and we get into the spirit of giving back, IFP has made a companywide donation to ORBIS International, a non-profit organization that works in developing countries to save sight.

IFP, the content services division of Advanced Inflight Alliance AG, has a long-standing relationship with ORBIS to support the organization’s mission.

Walé Adepoju, COO of Advanced Inflight Alliance AG, commented: “ORBIS does amazing work in helping cure blindness in developing countries and we’re proud to continue to support their cause. 285 million people in the world are visually impaired, and eighty percent of the world’s visually impaired suffer from conditions that are avoidable or curable but go untreated due to lack of access to quality eye care. ORBIS, which is most famous for its flying eye hospital, the world’s only airborne ophthalmic training facility, is a charity that several of our staff and companies independently support and promote.”

Florence Branchu, ORBIS Corporate Partnerships Manager, added: “The ongoing support of IFP will enable ORBIS to provide much needed eye care in some of the most under-served regions. The generosity of IFP has led to a total donation of £16,306.93 since 2010 (including this year’s donation) which could help us treat 65,227 children with antibiotics that fight trachoma a painful and blinding eye condition or could buy cataract surgery kits for 2038 cataract operations.”

“The aviation sector is a firm supporter of the sight-saving work of ORBIS and its Flying Eye Hospital, and with the next generation ‘hospital with wings’ launching next year this support is as gratefully received as ever,” continued Branchu.

November 6, 2013– Content services and solutions experts IFP and DTI are delighted to announce that they have been selected by Turkmenistan’s flag carrier, Turkmenistan Airlines, to feature inflight entertainment for the first time on board short and long-haul flights.

From January 2014, Turkmenistan Airlines will feature local and international content on seat-back systems including movies, TV shows, audio and games, to passengers traveling from Ashgabat International Airport.

“Turkmenistan Airlines is very proud to feature a roster of content on key routes from Ashgabat,” commented Ovezov Yuriy Deputy Chief, Contract Department at Turkmenistan Airlines. “We’re delighted to have IFP and DTI’s support as we strive to provide a great entertainment experience to our passengers.”

“We’re thrilled to support Turkmenistan Airlines’ IFE objectives by providing value through our group offering of AVOD content and games,” added Walé Adepoju, COO of Advanced Inflight Alliance AG, Parent company of IFP and DTI.

United Kingdom | October 16th, 2013 – IFP is delighted to announce that it has signed a multi-year agreement with SriLankan Airlines to provide route-specific inflight entertainment (IFE) content services for the airline’s international flight destinations including the Far East, India, the Middle-East, Europe and Russia.

The new programming also promises to showcase Sri Lanka’s rich cultural heritage, history and business opportunities through a blend of movies, TV shows and audio recordings relevant to passengers traveling with the airline.

“Our IFE programming will reflect the excellence in service we aim to provide to each of our customers and the prestige of our airline as the national carrier of Sri Lanka,” commented Mr. Jeyaseelan G T, Chief Marketing Officer at SriLankan Airlines. “We are thrilled to have the support of IFP to ensure our inflight entertainment is of the highest standards and meets the expectations of our passengers.”

“SirLankan Airlines is a well-respected airline and this agreement underlines IFP’s expertise and commitment to providing some of the industry’s widest variety of international content,” added Wale Adepoju, COO of AIA, Parent company of IFP.

• Combined connectivity and entertainment revolutionize the passenger experience

Geneva, Switzerland | September 4, 2013– OnAir Play is set to revolutionize the way airline passengers spend their time onboard by combining inflight connectivity with films, TV, live news, music, games, magazines and newspapers. Passengers will now have access to a full range of content including live news and sport, updated throughout the flight and can buy destination-based goods and services to ease their arrival.

Passengers simply need to connect to the Wi-Fi hotspot to enjoy a wide range of entertainment features. The passenger interface, which is fully customizable, is highly intuitive and is compatible with all device types, regardless of brand, screen size and operating system. OnAir’s onboard GSM and Wi-Fi networks mean passengers can tweet, email, send text messages, browse the Internet and make calls.

“OnAir Play marks the start of a new era in how we spend our time during the flight”, said Ian Dawkins, CEO of OnAir. “On the ground the way we watch TV and films or listen to music has changed to an on-demand mentality. We can even provide passengers with regularly refreshed, time-sensitive content, such as news and sport. We want to tell people about what we’re doing, through social media, email, text messages and even talking to them. Why should it be different when we fly?”

“We know the vast majority of airline passengers carry a smartphone or tablet, and often both”, Dawkins, added. “Passengers are familiar with their own device and have all the apps they are used to including a screen whose quality is often better than those on the back of seats. OnAir Play lets airlines provide passengers with the entertainment and connectivity options they want.”

OnAir Play gives airlines the freedom to provide extensive inflight entertainment (IFE) content directly to passengers’ own personal electronic devices through the onboard wireless network. Importantly, IFE is now a viable option for short-haul and regional operators, with a passenger service differentiation and revenue generating opportunities, such as the sale of content and advertising opportunities. Airlines opting to offer OnAir Play have the option to continue working with existing content providers, or work with OnAir to create content integrated packages.

The solution was developed in conjunction with inflight entertainment expert Advanced Inflight Alliance AG (AIA) and its software group DTI, through its Wireless Inflight Services and Entertainment. It provides full video-on demand capability with secured wireless Digital Rights Management (DRM) streaming approved by major studios through renowned AIA content specialist IFP.

“Our agreement with OnAir combines the expertise of key players in the fields of content and connectivity to provide an exceptional end-to-end wireless solution to the market. It will allow airlines to save on the overall cost of their inflight entertainment services and provide efficiencies when managing their onboard content,” said Walé Adepoju, Chief Operations Officer of AIA. “We are delighted to partner with OnAir to provide airlines with this innovative solution which includes technical facilities, content services and distribution, as well as inflight software features.”

For more information and a live demo of OnAir Play, visit our booths – OnAir booth 1041, AIA booth 1012 – at the APEX Expo in Anaheim, September 9-12, 2013.

London, UK | June 11, 2013– IFP, the Passenger Experience Provider™, today announced it will be managing Air France’s entire catalogue of world inflight movies on board the airline’s international flights.

Air France, which operates 1,500 daily flights worldwide, has an impressive array of regional and localized content including Arabic, Hindi, Simplified Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Latin Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese in-flight programming, among many other languages.

IFP’s extended content agreement comes as Air France continues to expand its global footprint with new flights to Montevideo and Kuala Lumpur.

United Kingdom | June 3, 2013– IFP, the Passenger Experience Provider, is proud to announce that it has equipped Equatorial Congo Airlines (ECAir) with iPad devices for its passengers, featuring a full programme of inflight entertainment content.

From March 2013, ECAir business class passengers have been able to access this complementary inflight entertainment service on international flights from Brazzaville to Paris CDG. The content available ranges from a variety of international movie and TV titles to local Congolese music.

This agreement is part of IFP’s broader strategy to offer the African airline market a wider variety of local and international content, as well as the latest entertainment innovations, to meet the demands of the continent’s growing passenger numbers.

London, UK | May 8, 2013– IFP, the Passenger Experience Provider™, today announced an extension to its multi-year agreement with Alitalia to provide a full suite of inflight entertainment services.

IFP will continue to provide its long-standing customer with a wide range of audio, video and local and international movies on demand for the airline’s seat-back and handheld IFE systems.
“We’re committed to providing outstanding customer service and satisfaction,” commented Francesco Cupo, Purchasing Manager at Servair Solution Italia, the service company managing Alitalia’s in-flight services supply chain since November 2010. “IFP’s continued support will help further our efforts to offer a fresh and appealing entertainment programme for our customers.”

“We’re delighted to extend our partnership with Alitalia,” commented Robert Haxton, Managing Director of IFP. “The airline will continue to benefit from our understanding of passengers’ content preferences and we aim to constantly evolve the programming to ensure it remains relevant at all times.”

April 23, 2013–IFP, the Passenger Experience Provider, is thrilled to announce that it has won a multi-year agreement to supply inflight entertainment content to Thai Airways International. Following a highly competitive bid, IFP has become the airline’s exclusive supplier of regional and international movies, TV programming and audio across its entire fleet.

IFP’s creative proposal to improve the airline’s current content line-up and increase passenger satisfaction adds to the company’s existing strong presence in Asia through its market-leading operations and technical facilities in Singapore, and its innovative approach to providing engaging content and IFE solutions to airlines.

“Thai Airways International takes great pride in the services we provide to our airline customers and our entertainment programming must reflect our reputation for excellence,” explained Krittaphon Chantalitanon, VP Product & Services Development at Thai Airways International. “We’re delighted that IFP will help support our IFE objectives through this new agreement.”

“We’re committed to providing exceptional content services to support Thai Airways’ renowned brand values and meet passengers’ expectations with world class programming,” added Robert Haxton, Managing Director of IFP.

February 6, 2013– IFP the Passenger Experience Provider is pleased to announce that it has furthered its long-standing commitment to the airline industry with an expanded and full-range of in-flight entertainment content.

As part of its focus, IFP has renewed its multi-year agreement with American Airlines, which allows IFP to service the airline’s international and domestic flights with an array of movies, video and audio content for its overhead and traditional seatback in-flight entertainment systems, as well as for the company’s cutting edge Samsung Galaxy Tab™ Android platform tablets provided on select international and transcontinental flights.

IFP content allows passengers to enjoy the world’s most popular casual games on the airline’s in-seat entertainment systems and Galaxy tablets through an additional agreement signed with IFP’s sister company DTI Software.

Walé Adepoju, Executive Director of IFP and DTI Software commented: “We are thrilled to accompany an industry leader like American Airlines in its progressive strategy to enhance the passenger experience through exceptional and compelling content services.”

Financial terms of the new agreement are confidential.

London, UK | January 31, 2013– IFP, the Passenger Experience Provider™, today announced that it has extended its multi-year agreement with Japan Airlines (JAL) to provide a full suite of engaging inflight entertainment (IFE) content services.

Expanding on its long-established relationship with the airline, IFP will continue to provide a wide range of services to JAL such as local and international movies, TV programming, AVOD and additional emerging services, on the airline’s entire fleet, including its newly-launched JAL SKY SUITE 777.

Wale Adepoju, Executive Director of IFP, commented: “JAL is an important long-established airline client of ours and we’re delighted that they have renewed their trust in IFP’s commitment to delivering exceptional services and engaging content.”

Jun Kato, Executive Officer of Route Marketing for Japan Airlines, added: “Our inflight entertainment offering reflects JAL’s commitment to providing the best onboard passenger experience to our customers. We are pleased to continue working with IFP in achieving our IFE objectives by delivering refreshingly unique offerings to passengers.”

London, UK | January 9, 2013– IFP, the Passenger Experience Provider™, today announced that it has appointed Robert Haxton as Managing Director of its UK and worldwide offices.

Following a successful year which saw IFP grow and strengthen its portfolio of inflight entertainment content, technical and creative solutions, Robert will lead the company to further develop its services to airline clients.

Robert joined IFP in June 2012 as Chief Financial Officer, bringing a wealth of financial and management experience to the company after serving as Vice President and Finance Director at Sony Pictures Entertainment since 2005. He had previously held a number of senior level financial positions for companies in the publishing, media, advertising and entertainment sectors, including Haymarket Publishing Ltd, JWT, British Sky Broadcasting (BSKYB) and Polygram Records (now Universal).

“I look forward to continuing to drive IFP’s business through a critical new phase of optimisation and growth as we strive to meet our airline clients’ expanding content and digital needs,” commented Robert Haxton.

Taipei | December 13, 2012– Taiwan-listed airline TransAsia Airways, officially received delivery of its first A330-300 aircraft in Airbus’s Headquarter in Toulouse, France, on 26th November.

The new delivery marks the beginning of TransAsia Airways’ fleet enhancement plan; from 2013 to 2022, the airline will receive a further 31 new aircraft, which includes its second A330-300, six A321-200, twelve A321-neo, and twelve ATR-600 – three of which are optional.

“The delivery of A330 is another milestone for TransAsia Airways”, said Mr. Vincent M. Lin, Chairman of TransAsia Airways, “Together with the 2nd A330-300 expected to be in operation early next year, we will see an annual growth of 40% in passenger capacity on international routes. As the first wide-body jet, A330-300 aircraft will contribute in new destination expansion and enhance our competitiveness among peers. In addition, its advance technology and more comfortable interior layout will ensure a better flight experience for our passengers.”

The stretched-fuselage A330-300 matches twin-engine efficiency with increased passenger capacity. This jetliner has a range of up to 5,450 nautical miles while carrying 300 passengers in a typical two-cabin arrangement seating 32 in business class at a 60-inch seat pitch and 268 in economy class at 32-inch seat pitch. All seats are equipped with individual inflight entertainment system offering a large collection of Hollywood new releases and classic titles, Asian cinema including Taiwan, China and Hong Kong movies, as well as an extensive range of western and regional TV programmes and a comprehensive library of AOD CDs, all updated monthly and supplied by IFP Singapore.

Compared to its peers, the A330 is an all-round aircraft – capable of achieving efficiency and keeping operating costs low. Its versatility in operating different kinds of routes and its optimum performance on medium to long haul routes, more specifically 7-9 hours range, are in line with TransAsia’s expansion strategy to achieve an international destination network and to compete on the global platform.

Talking about the airline’s fleet selection strategy, Vincent added: “Fleet and network are the two most important assets to an airline. Making the right choice on fleet purchase is critical to an airline’s performance. To mitigate the risk of fluctuating fuel price, while achieve the best efficiency, we selected ATR fleet for domestic routes for its light weight, fuel efficiency and safety. We also ordered twelve A321neo aircraft, ahead of other Taiwanese airlines, for its flexibility and range capability and fuel saving of up to 15%. A321neo will be the key model of our fleet moving forward.”

“A330-300 model has many commonalities with A320 series, which provide us cost savings from pilot training, maintenance and operation. The first A330-300 aircraft will be deployed on international routes to Japan and Singapore. In the near future, we are also looking to further expand our network to include destinations within 9 hour radius from Taiwan, including Sydney, New Zealand, Guam, and Middle East.”

Since 2010, TransAsia Airways has doubled the number of scheduled international routes to 16 to destinations including Singapore, Macau, Vietnam, South Korea and Japan. In 2012, the airline has rolled out a series of service upgrade initiatives to offer value added experience to passengers, including launch of new crew uniform, new in-flight menu and new airport lounge with Oxygen Bar.

Hong Kong | December 11, 2012– IMDC, the IFE industry’s leading independent consulting services provider, has held the first ever training course on wireless technologies. Organized in Hong Kong, the event specifically targeted Asian airlines and aimed to provide relevant and detailed information to those currently considering wireless solutions.

Sponsored by IFP, The Passenger Experience Provider™, and IFE solutions expert DTI Solutions, the two-day workshop attracted over 20 delegates from 9 airlines across Asia.

Training Course topics included understanding wireless connectivity trends and exploring the opportunities and challenges of implementing wireless solutions on both narrow and wide-body aircraft.

If you would like to take part in a future wireless training course or if you would like to find out more about wireless solutions, please contact: robert.smith@imdc.net

London, UK | November 9, 2012– IFP, the Passenger Experience Provider, has been selected by Luxembourg-based airline Luxair to produce a series of inflight safety videos and graphics for its newly installed inflight entertainment systems.

The new safety videos were shot over two days in a central London green screen studio and a ‘virtual’ environment in post-production was created, following the new Luxair brand guidelines and giving continuity between the new Luxair Tours entertainment idents and the Welcome, Goodbye and Duty Free videos all produced by IFP.

The safety videos will be released in the near future on board Luxair’s Boeing 737 aircraft and new installations of Rockwell Collins dPaves Gen 2 systems, for which Luxair is the launch airline.

“We’ve provided Luxair with TV and audio programming for nearly 10 years and we’re delighted to expand our services to keep passengers fully engaged with the Luxair brand through IFP’s new graphics packages,” said Walé Adepoju, Executive Chairman at IFP.

“Satisfying customer needs is our priority at Luxair and we aim to offer the highest levels of security, service and comfort to our passengers,” explained Yves Kieffer, IFE Coordinator, LuxairGroup. “Our continued partnership with IFP will allow us to maintain our brand values as a modern, reliable and appealing airline on our newly-launched inflight entertainment systems.”

For examples of previous creative work by IFP, please visit IFP’s YouTube page.

London, UK | October 2, 2012– IFP, the market-leading passenger experience provider specialising in engaging passengers through tailored content, applications and services, has renewed its multi-year inflight entertainment services agreement with Air France.

Since 2005, IFP has provided Air France’s long haul flights with Hollywood movie content, followed by world movie content, and international TV shows and series for the last two years.

Sandrine Marsal, IFE manager at Air France, said: “Our inflight entertainment offering enables Air France passengers to enjoy their travel experience in the best possible way. We’re delighted to be continuing our partnership with IFP for our renowned IFE catalogue.”

Roger Grange, Vice President of Content Acquisition and Licensing, commented: “Air France’s renewed trust in IFP is a testament to the commitment we have to providing the airline with the industry’s best inflight services and a truly engaging passenger experience for Air France customers.”

Taiwan | August 10, 2012– TransAsia Airways is the first full-service Asian carrier to offer complimentary inflight entertainment content on iPad 3 devices for business class passengers as part of its cabin refurbishment and enhancement program, which was launched earlier this summer.

Together with its long-established content service provider IFP, and authorized iPad management company Jetpack (a Project Lambda company), TransAsia is offering Business Class passengers traveling on selected international routes an unrivalled on board experience with the airline’s extensive selection of Hollywood and Asian movies, Western and regional TV, a varied audio catalogue, inflight games and electronic magazines.

TransAsia’s decision to equip its fleets with iPads is to also promote for a more eco-friendly cabin reading environment. It is part of a larger upgrade programme which includes fleet expansion with A330 beginning delivering in November, upgraded inflight meal menu, new refurbished airport lounges, and a completely refreshed City Smart uniform look.

Annie Chiu, MarCom Assistant Vice-President at TransAsia Airways commented: “TransAsia endeavours to keep-up with the latest technology trends and meet our passengers’ expectations. We’re delighted to partner with service providers such as IFP to be the first full-service carrier in our market to launch such a programme and offer a unique and enhanced experience to our customers through our extensive content catalogue.”

The airline launched the new iPad 3 IFE content programme in just two months and plans to offer further options for passengers by extending the programme to all routes in the coming months.

El Segundo, CA | June 27, 2012– IFP has added Jackie Frimer as Vice-President of Worldwide Business Development to its global team. Jackie will be in charge of developing the company’s international sales and business plans to leverage IFP’s strategy of driving the in-flight industry to adapt to the evolving marketplace.

Jackie Frimer has over a decade of experience working in in-flight entertainment. She commenced her IFEC career working at Panasonic Avionics managing the Marketing and Public Relations efforts for the hardware company. She moved into content services at Interact where she brought her Latin American expertise to the company, making them leaders in the region.

Rob Hunter, CEO of IFP, commented: “We are delighted to add Jackie’s expertise to our global sales team. Her wealth of hardware and IFE content knowledge will be instrumental to IFP’s business strategy as we embrace the move towards digital, handheld and connected environments, and push the industry to change the way it markets and delivers content services to today’s airlines.”

London, UK | June 21, 2012 — IFP, the market-leading inflight service provider specialised in providing solutions to engage passengers through tailored content, applications and services has signed a multi-year agreement to supply a complete range of inflight solutions to KLM.

IFP will continue to provide KLM with a complete service of engaging and cutting-edge IFE content, applications and promotions. These include movies, TV programming, audio, AVOD, advertising, games, meal menus, and just recently, the world’s first Movies & More app allowing passengers to view IFE content listings on their mobile devices. IFP’s evolution into the passenger engagement solutions provider will enable KLM to remain as a technology and passenger leader in the inflight market.

Audrey Zielinski, Manager of Inflight Entertainment at KLM, commented: “We are very happy with IFP’s continued support of KLM’s creative approach to inflight entertainment as we provide ever-more engaging content to our passengers.”

Roger Grange, Vice President of Content Acquisition and Licensing at IFP, added “We are delighted that KLM has renewed its trust in us as we evolve the inflight entertainment market. Our long-established relationship with the airline reaffirms IFP’s commitment to developing exceptional creative solutions to engage passengers in a new experience.”

London, UK | April 26, 2012– Inflight Productions (IFP), the market-leading inflight service provider specialised in engaging passengers through tailored content, today launched the first-ever application providing passengers with real-time complete listings of all the programming on-board KLM’s intercontinental fleet.

The KLM Movies & More app, which is available to download for free on iTunes, is the first of its kind allowing travellers to plan their long-haul flight schedule ahead of time by accessing listings of KLM’s inflight movies, TV, audio and children’s entertainment prior to boarding. It also provides synopses and film trailer previews to enhance and extend the travel experience.

The app is one of several ground-breaking inflight entertainment projects which London-based Content Service Provider IFP is developing to answer growing demands from airlines to adapt ground-based content solutions for inflight use.

“The development of this unique app, in partnership with our long-standing partner KLM, is another example of the deep knowledge and understanding we have of airlines’ inflight entertainment expectations and the needs of their passengers,” explained Roberts Hunter, CEO of IFP. “We distinguish our services through pioneering solutions which offer ever-engaging and relevant content to flight passengers, closing the gap between ground and air technologies and reshaping the inflight entertainment industry as we know it.”

“With the KLM Movies & More app, we’re taking inflight entertainment to the next level, expanding the reach of our broad IFE offer by making listings accessible to our passengers’ mobile devices. This introduction brings the KLM app suite up to five applications, together increasing brand awareness and above all brand affinity” commented Audrey Zielinski, Manager of Inflight Entertainment at KLM.

KLM Movies & More is available to download from the iTunes app store and through KLM’s website, and is compatible with Apple iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad devices.