As promised, the good folks at Thales have sent me their full list of announced TopSeries customers. To date the in-flight entertainment (IFE) giant has secured TopSeries deals with just over 40 airlines, which have committed to over 1,000 TopSeries systems.
The 31 carriers named in the list below are the ones that have given Thales permission to send out a release over the last several years. Some airlines don't wish to announce anything until the system in flying.
"We are in the process of reaching out to the balance of the airlines which we have not made formal announcements," says a Thales spokeswoman.
Check out the list. That big BA deal was a doosy. But Thales' strength is also evident in Asia and the Middle East. Rival Panasonic's decision to open an office in Shanghai next month makes a lot of sense.
Now for a bit of newsy news. Thales previously said that the new all-digital IFE system for single-aisle will be launched by a leading Middle Eastern carrier. The company confirms that one of the 31 carriers listed below will launch the product. That narrows it down nicely, but Thales isn't disclosing which one.
However, a little birdie has told me that #28, Saudi Arabian Airlines, will launch the system on 22 Airbus A320s. I love little birdies (and their unsubstianted tweets).
As reported earlier the new TopSeries product, which dispenses of the seat box, can be configured by class of service as an interactive audio-only system, interactive overhead video system, or a full functioning in-seat audio/video on demand (AVOD) system with a high-speed broadband network and personal widescreen displays.
On a tangent - when Thales refers to "broadband" is it referencing the type of in-flight Internet offerings being developed by Arinc and OnAir to take advantage of Inmarsat's higher-bandwidth aeronautical service, SwiftBroadband? Thales is on record as saying it sees SwiftBroadband as the initial way forward (and not Ku band-based connectivity).
But back to the new IFE system for regional jets and narrowbodies. In July Thales announced that Star Aviation - which is being established by Dubai-based ETA Star Group - will equip its new Embraer 170 aircraft with a TopSeries AVOD system that eliminates the seat box.
Thales says that the Star Aviation system is not the same as the new single-aisle offering that will be launched by that leading Middle Eastern carrier.
Thales designed a new ePCU (Ethernet passenger control unit) that connects directly to the Ethernet network - this is an added feature compared to the system Star Aviation has today, says the Thales spokeswoman, adding: "With the new ePCU, airlines have more interactive audio capability."
The Thales TopSeries list
1. Afriquyah Airways
2. Air AsiaX
3. Air Astana
4. Air Canada
5. Air China
6. Air Europa
7. Air France
8. Air India
9. Bangkok Airways
10. British Airways
11. BMED
12. China Eastern
13. Etihad
14. Ethiopian Airlines
15. Hainan Airlines
16. Indian Airlines
17. Interjet
18. Japan Airlines
19. Korean Airlines
20. LAN
21. LOT Polish Airlines
22. Malaysia Airlines
23. Middle East Airlines
24. MyTravel
25. Philippine Airlines
26. Royal Brunei
27. Royal Jordianian
28. Saudi Arabian Airlines
29. Star Aviation
30. Shanghai
31. Tunis Air
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