Qatar Airways and Thales have signed an agreement to equip Qatar Airways’ new A321 NX fleet with Thales’ FlytEDGE inflight entertainment (IFE) system. Qatar Airways is the first airline to announce its selection of FlytEDGE, the world’s first cloud-native IFEC platform, which promises a new level of personalisation and passenger entertainment.
Qatar Airways has previously partnered with Thales as its IFE provider to equip its Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, A350 and A380 aircraft. The system enables the rapid integration of Qatar Airways’ portfolio of group brands, products and other web-based applications.
FlytEDGE utilises cloud computing technologies and an open software platform to facilitate capabilities such as access to streaming platforms, live personalisation and gaming. Powered by Onboard Data Center (ODC), it is the inflight industry’s first blade architecture and has 96 terabytes of storage, which enables onboard edge caching and much more.
Thales’ FlytEDGE solution features cinematic 4K QLED HDR seatback displays that give passengers over a billion colours and two Bluetooth connections so passengers can pair their personal electronic devices (PEDs).
The system broadcasts the same user interface onboard for all devices. Pulse power management delivers high-speed charging at each seat to passenger devices.
Xia Cai, Senior Vice President Product Development at Qatar Airways, said: “At Qatar Airways, we continue to enhance our world-leading passenger experience and providing passengers with top-quality inflight entertainment forms a key part of this approach. As our digital transformation journey evolves, we are thrilled to partner with Thales to introduce FlytEDGE onto our entertainment platform. We are confident passengers on our A321 NX fleet will have access to the most innovative consumer technology in the skies.”
Yannick Assouad, Executive Vice-President, at Thales Avionics said: “At Thales, we believe that the future of inflight entertainment is limitless. We are harnessing the power of technology to create personalised, interactive and unforgettable experiences that redefine what it means to travel. Our partnership with Qatar Airways is growing stronger. Together, we’re bringing FlytEDGE’s advanced capabilities to their A321 NX fleet, ensuring passengers have unforgettable journeys.”
