Panasonic Avionics expands Astrova production capacity at Osaka-Kadoma factory, marks sales milestone
The Osaka-Kadoma factory expansion increases Astrova production capacity sixfold
Panasonic Avionics Corporation (Panasonic Avionics) has announced that it has sold 500,000 of its Astrova 4K OLED screens, marking a major milestone for its next-generation in-flight engagement (IFE) solution.
Selected by more than 45 airlines across more than 150 aircraft installation programs to date, Astrova has become the fastest-adopted IFE solution in the company’s history, since its launch in 2022.
The half-million sales milestone includes screens already in airline service as well as units advancing through seat integration and installation ahead of delivery to airlines.
Astrova was developed to bring the quality and flexibility of consumer digital experiences into the aircraft cabin. It combines 4K OLED HDR10+ displays with high-fidelity audio, Bluetooth®* audio, passenger-device integration and charging capabilities.
As consumer technology continues to evolve at a rapid pace, the traditional static IFE models cannot keep up with passenger expectations. Astrova, solves this problem with its modular design, PAC said in an October 23 press release. Features like Bluetooth, USB standards, processors, and memory can be upgraded over time to keep pace with passenger expectations.
This advantage with Astrova has been shown to increase passenger engagement. When connected to high-speed IFC including new LEO services, Astrova creates a connected seatback and digital third channel for airlines that offers higher levels of personalization and more opportunities for an airline to engage with their passengers.
According to the press release, a recent, third-party, global passenger engagement study measuring IFE engagement in minutes showed Astrova-equipped aircraft offered an 18 percent improvement in passenger engagement.
Ken Sain, Chief Executive Officer at Panasonic Avionics, said, “The sale of half a million Astrova screens is a remarkable milestone, but what matters most is what it says about where our industry is heading. Airlines increasingly see the connected seatback as more than an entertainment screen; it is becoming a digital engagement platform through which they can engage passengers, differentiate their brand and introduce new experiences over time.
“That was the thinking behind Astrova from the outset, and its rapid adoption shows there is real demand for a seatback experience that combines outstanding hardware with the flexibility to keep evolving throughout the life of the aircraft."
To meet that growing demand, Panasonic Avionics has completed a major expansion of its Osaka-Kadoma Factory in Japan, increasing Astrova production capacity six-fold. The facility serves as a global production hub for Astrova and will support its continued rollout across new aircraft linefit and retrofit programs worldwide.
The factory’s total area has been expanded to more than 10,000 square meters, approximately double its previous footprint. Production space has expanded by approximately 1.8 times, and its equipment capacity has doubled. Additional capacity also has been built in to support further growth in demand.
The expansion comes as airlines continue to invest in high-speed IFC, streaming services and more personalized digital experiences. Astrova brings these trends together at the seatback, integrating entertainment, connectivity, personal-device functionality and charging to give airlines a digital platform for passenger engagement that can continue to develop over the aircraft lifecycle.
Andy Masson, Senior Vice President of Product and Strategy at Panasonic Avionics, said, “We expect that by March 2027, more than three million passengers per month will use Astrova screens produced in our Osaka facility. This investment in the expansion, and the Avionics Business Unit’s reputation for precision manufacturing, will provide the production scale, consistency, and reliability needed to support growing airline demand for Astrova.”
Panasonic Avionics will use its expanded Osaka-Kadoma factory as a global production hub as it supports heightened demand for Astrova, with the facility also retaining room for further production expansion as airline investment in connected cabin technology grows.
