Summary
- Egyptair becomes the first African airline to commit to Panasonic Avionics’ Astrova In-Flight Entertainment system, offering an enhanced onboard experience on its upcoming Airbus A350 fleet.
- The Astrova system includes 19-inch 4K OLED monitors in business class and 12-inch monitors in economy class, as well as connectivity services for all passengers.
- Passengers on Egyptair’s A350s can enjoy fast charging for their devices and stay connected at any stage of a flight.
After making headlines at the 2023 Dubai Airshow with a significant widebody order, Egypt’s flag carrier is back in the spotlight for becoming the first African airline to commit to Panasonic Avionics’ Astrova In-Flight Entertainment (IFE) system.
Panasonic Astrova on the A350
Egyptair signed an agreement with Panasonic Avionics on November 15 for the installation of the ground-breaking Astrova seat-end solution on the airline’s new Airbus 350 fleet. The Cairo-based carrier announced its order for ten new A350-900s on the second day of the Dubai Airshow. Once delivered, the ultra-modern widebody will become Egyptair’s flagship aircraft.
Photo: Panasonic Avionics
As such, the aircraft will be equipped with modern entertainment and connectivity systems to offer passengers an enhanced onboard experience. The widebodies in Egyptair’s current fleet, including its A330s, B777s, and B787s, are all in a two-class configuration and loaded with various entertainment options.
Panasonic Avionics’ newest solution will be line-fit installed on the new Airbus widebodies. The A350 business class cabin will be fitted with 19-inch 4K OLED monitors, while the economy class cabin receives the smaller 12-inch monitors. Furthermore, the company’s connectivity services will be installed in both cabins, allowing all A350 passengers to stay connected at over 30,000 ft. Panasonic Avionics Vice President commented on the new development, saying,
“We’re thrilled to be launching Astrova in the African market with our longstanding and high valued customer, Egyptair. Our goal is to revolutionize the seatback experience and enable airlines to engage with their passengers, and we’re confident our solutions will deliver these benefits for Egyptair and its customers.”
Fast charging and Bluetooth connectivity
With Astrova, Egyptair passengers will enjoy redefined seatback entertainment on long-haul flights, regardless of the cabin they will be traveling in. In addition to watching movies and TV shows on screens with the best high-definition capabilities, high-fidelity audio will also be available through Panasonic Avionics’ in-flight Bluetooth technology.
Photo: Panasonic Avionics
Whether traveling for leisure, school, or business, passengers on the new A350s can prepare to say goodbye to leaving their devices plugged in for several hours as Panasonic’s newest solution offers seat-charging of up to 100W of direct current power via USB-C. This can fast-charge all modern smartphones, tablets, and nearly 90% of laptops at any stage of the flight. Egyptair Holding CEO and Chairman Yehia Zakria said,
“As an airline, we are always seeking solutions to evolve our passenger experience around the world. Panasonic Avionics draws on decades of experience and innovative solutions, and we are thrilled to use their advanced seatback solutions and offer our customers the latest and greatest technology to enhance their travel experience.”
In-flight connectivity has become an essential part of modern air travel, with airlines continuously enhancing WiFi, messaging, and streaming options for customers. On board the new A350s, passengers can stay connected with friends, family, or colleagues on various social platforms through Panasonic Avionics’ worldwide in-flight connectivity services. This allows access to several high-speed applications on almost all flight routes.
A memorable cabin experience
The monitors to be fitted in the economy cabin will deliver a high-performance system and a riveting cinematic experience using the latest 4K screen technology. This will be complemented by faster network speeds and higher storage capacity, as well as USB-A and USB-C charging.
Photo: Airbus
In truth, advanced IFE systems can only be fully enjoyed in a good cabin environment. Luckily, Egyptair’s new flagship aircraft benefits from one of the most modern airliner cabins, offering passengers new standards of comfort throughout the flight. The A350-900’s cabin is among the quietest and features ambient lighting technology, ultimately providing a memorable flying experience.
What are your thoughts on Egyptair partnering with Panasonic Avionics? Have you ever flown on the Airbus A350? Please let us know in the comments!