Summary
- Air Canada selects Panasonic’s Astrova IFE for 80+ new aircraft to enhance passenger experience from 2025.
- Panasonic’s 4K OLED HDR10+ screens and USB-C charging provide cinema-quality visuals and device compatibility.
- Astrova’s modular design allows for easy upgrades and enhancements over time, ensuring a dynamic entertainment experience.
Air Canada has signed an agreement with Panasonic Avionics to equip 80+ of its new aircraft with the latter’s Astrova in-flight entertainment (IFE) system. The solution – featuring 4K OLED HDR10+ screens – will be fitted to the Canadian carrier’s incoming Boeing 787-10, Airbus A220-300 and A321XLR aircraft, along with a retrofit on its A321 fleet.
Air Canada chooses Panasonic IFE for new fleet
The airline will line fit Panasonic’s Astrova IFE product to its incoming aircraft, which are due to arrive from 2025 onwards. Astrova’s features and functionality include:
- 4K OLED HDR10+ screens
- Panasonic Avionics’ new IFE software platform
- Bluetooth connectivity for personal headphones
- 100W DC charging with USB-C connectivity
Photo: Panasonic Avionics
Panasonic touts Astrova as the first IFE product to offer 4K OLED technology, leading to crisper and clearer “cinema-grade” visuals. USB-C charging is essential for anyone with devices such as phones, laptops or tablets, and you can even connect your own headphones while watching.
John Moody, Managing Director Onboard Product of Air Canada, commented,
“We’re very excited to build on our long-term relationship with Panasonic Avionics by selecting Astrova for our next-generation cabins. It represents our commitment to delivering the best experience to our customers. Astrova is the best available solution on the market today, and we are proud to make it part of Air Canada’s award-winning in-flight entertainment.”
Air Canada has also extended its agreement with Panasonic Avionics’ technical services team (PTS) to maintain the systems over the years. United Airlines became the first Astrova customer in the Americas back in 2021, opting for Panasonic Avionics’ product for its new 787 and A321XLR fleet arriving next year. Other carriers to choose Astrova include Saudia as a retrofit on its widebody A330 and 777 fleet, and Icelandair for its A321LR fleet.

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Modular design
Astrova is designed with a modular architecture, which allows for quicker upgrades and changes over the product’s lifecycle. This will enable Air Canada to develop and implement new applications much more efficiently, allowing for a more dynamic and adaptive entertainment experience as the years progress.
Photo: Panasonic Avionics
Hernan Abbes, Vice President of Global Sales at Panasonic Avionics Corporation, said,
“With its flexible design and modular approach to upgrades, we are confident that our award-winning Astrova IFE solution will enhance Air Canada’s brand and increase passenger engagement for many years to come. We look forward to continued collaboration with Air Canada to perpetually deliver the latest technology to Air Canada throughout the lifetime of its fleet.”
The company cites its patented removable peripheral bar, which can easily be customized for alternative functionality, such as an extra charging slot or future technologies.
Aircraft arriving from 2025
With the A321XLR on course to start arriving at Air Canada in 2025 and the 787-10 touted for Q4 2025 deliveries, passengers will be able to enjoy this new IFE solution fairly soon.
Photo: Airbus
The airline has not confirmed how long the retrofit rollout would take for its A321 fleet. It currently operates 16 A321-200s with an average age of around 20 years old.