Stellar Entertainment has expanded its partnership with Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL), extending the relationship beyond content to include creative concept design, editorial production and inflight advertising sales through to 2029.
The expansion builds on Stellar’s appointment as AZAL’s exclusive Content Service Provider in 2025. At its centre is a new creative concept for AZAL’s inflight entertainment, built around the theme At the Heart of the World, reflecting Azerbaijan’s position where Europe, Asia and the Middle East meet. A year-round programme of creative themes will bring Azerbaijan’s landscapes, culture and identity to the onboard screen, changing with the seasons, national celebrations, major events and destinations.
The concept launches first on Panasonic Astrova, which entered service with AZAL earlier this year alongside Panasonic’s Modular Interactive platform. Stellar is the first content service provider to design and deliver a full passenger-facing interface through Panasonic MI Studio, allowing layouts, visual treatments, landing pages and featured collections to be refreshed mid-cycle rather than waiting for the next content load. The same creative concept will also be adapted across AZAL’s wider inflight entertainment systems.
Other elements of the partnership include Discover Azerbaijan, an onboard digital magazine covering the country’s culture, food, innovation, arts and music, produced by Stellar in collaboration with the Azerbaijan Tourism Board and AZAL’s marketing team; an inflight entertainment microsite powered by pixL, letting passengers browse the entertainment line-up before they fly; and a new inflight advertising programme across AZAL’s seatback and wireless platforms, managed by Stellar from advertiser engagement through to delivery and reporting.
Sam Allen, Chief Executive Officer, Stellar Entertainment, said: “When we started working with AZAL last year, the ambition was always bigger than a content catalogue. This next step lets us shape the whole experience, the look, the feel, the story it tells. Being first to build a passenger interface through MI Studio means we can keep that experience alive and evolving, flight after flight.”
Jonathan DeOliveira, Director of Customer Experience, Azerbaijan Airlines, said: “Our inflight entertainment is more than part of the onboard experience. For many passengers, it is also their first introduction to Azerbaijan. Together with Stellar, we are creating an experience that brings Azerbaijan’s landscapes, culture and identity to life throughout the year. As Azerbaijan Airlines continues to expand its global network, our inflight entertainment provides another meaningful platform to showcase Azerbaijan to the world.”
