EgyptAir’s new A350-900 has entered service with inflight engagement and connectivity (IFEC) systems and a suite of digital apps and services from Panasonic Avionics.
The Egyptian flag carrier is the first airline to fly globally with Modular Interactive (MI), Panasonic Avionics’ fully integrated in-flight engagement (IFE) interactive design and publishing tool.
MI is available across EgyptAir’s new A350-900 fleet as part of a fully integrated Panasonic Avionics IFEC ecosystem. It is the industry’s first interactive authoring and publishing platform, and is a key part of Panasonic Avionics’ vision to redefine the inflight experience and integrate IFEC as a third digital channel for airlines.
With MI, EgyptAir will be able to rapidly update and tailor their in-flight experience.
Designed as a cloud-based platform, MI features a flexible, modular architecture that supports highly configurable layouts, themes and style elements without the long lead times or high costs typically tied to traditional interactive development and testing.
Airlines can use MI Studio to independently define and deploy different design styles, colour palettes, branding assets, apps and service activations. This gives them increased autonomy to build and refine new experiences.
To maximise passenger engagement, EgyptAir’s A350-900 features Panasonic Avionics’ Arc 3D inflight map platform. The new interface highlights three core features: high-resolution 3D visuals, smooth interaction and immersive engagement.
One of the most distinctive features of EgyptAir’s new 3D flight map is its exclusive Arc for Young Explorers experience. Combining an eye-catching dinosaur theme with real-time flight data, children can enter ‘dino mode’ and explore their flight as a Quetzalcoatlus.
The kids’ map will display dinosaurs that once inhabited the regions currently being flown over, informing passengers about each dinosaur’s characteristics, behaviours and background.
Additionally, EgyptAir is one of the first airlines to launch the new Arc Vistas feature, which provides immersive and cinematic views of the world directly from the Arc map 3D engine.
Arc Vistas can be accessed interactively by passengers or utilised in a relaxing screen-saver mode. Utilising Astrova’s 4K, OLED displays and enhanced 3D graphics power, Arc Vistas presents traditional map displays as a form of inflight engagement.
To enhance revenue generation and passenger engagement, EgyptAir has also selected the inflight Marketplace solution. Panasonic Avionics’ ecommerce platform will be integrated into the IFEC experience, providing an interface with easy navigation for passengers who want to make inflight purchases.
In Business Class, the aircraft features the Astrova seat-end IFE solution. This delivers a fully immersive experience featuring industry-leading 4K OLED HDR10+ displays that provide stunning, cinema-quality visuals. Bluetooth and wired headsets will offer high-fidelity spatial audio for the best possible listening experience. Astrova will also deliver 67W of USB-C power to enable fast charging of laptops and all other passenger devices.
In Economy Class, passengers benefit from the NEXT IFE system, offering 4K seatback displays, Bluetooth audio connectivity for personal headphones and an intuitive user interface that supports fast access to content and services.
Captain Ahmed Adel, Chairman and CEO of EgyptAir Holding, stated: ”We are proud to introduce a new era of inflight comfort and entertainment for our passengers. The integration of the Astrova and NEXT systems on our A350-900 ensures that every traveller, whether in Business or Economy Class, enjoys world-class connectivity and cinema-quality visuals. From the immersive 3D maps for adults to the ‘Young Explorers’ experience for our junior travellers, we are committed to making every EgyptAir flight a memorable one.”
Andrew Mohr, Vice President of Digital Solutions, Panasonic Avionics, said: “We are excited and honoured to once again collaborate with EgyptAir. Together our companies will maximise passenger engagement by bringing smarter, more connected in-flight experiences to their passengers.”
“We are confident that this powerful new combination of hardware, apps, services and connectivity will drive deeper loyalty, unlock new ancillary revenue opportunities and enhance operational performance for EgyptAir,” added Mohr.
