Air India selects Thales’ AVANT Up IFE
Thales' AVANT Up IFE system
Air India has selected Thales’ AVANT Up inflight entertainment (IFE) system to elevate its passenger experience. Thales will upgrade and retrofit Air India’s fleet of 40 777 and 787 aircraft with the AVANT Up system, through 2025. Thales will also install AVANT Up on 11 of the airline’s Airbus and Boeing aircraft scheduled for next year.
“Thales is proud to build on the enduring relationship with Air India to support the airline’s transformation in redefining the passenger entertainment experience,” the company said in its press release.
AVANT Up offers an interactive 3D map and immersive route-based programming to passengers. The Select User Interface (UI) also allows passengers to intuitively navigate through the catalogue of entertainment.
"At Thales, we are very proud to deepen our long-standing partnership with Air India. We are committed to support the airline’s transformation by delivering state-of-the-art AVANT Up technologies that transcend the ordinary to offer Air India’s customers with world-class inflight experiences celebrating the vibrant culture and colours of India," said Yannick Assouad, Executive Vice-President Avionics, Thales.
Rajesh Dogra, Chief Customer Experience Officer, Air India, also commented on the partnership: “Air India is committed to providing a world-class travel experience to its passengers. Partnering with Thales for its top-of-the-class AVANT Up inflight entertainment systems is a step in the direction of our transformation programme. This latest inflight entertainment technology will allow us to stay at the forefront of aviation technology and will help us provide our passengers with a unique onboard entertainment system.”
The AVANT Up IFE system features Optiq, 4K QLED HDR displays with in-screen USB-A and USB-C high-speed charging ports. It is the only display with two Bluetooth connections and built-in Wi-Fi.
Passengers can pair their wireless headphones or other devices to the display while simultaneously charging their phones.
“India is the fastest growing aviation market in the world, with huge potential for further growth. This sets the stage for airlines to elevate [the] overall flying experience of passengers. We are pleased to support Air India in achieving the ambition of providing superior customer experience with our advanced AVANT Up inflight entertainment,” said Ashish Saraf, VP and Country Director for India, Thales.
