November 2010 Archives

.....and I just used the service - called FlyNet - to upload this video in-flight!! Sweeeeeeet!

IMS provides portable in-flight entertainment (IFE) to airlines around the world. The company is bringing to market a portable player based on Apple's highly popular iPad tablet, but challenges exist. IMS' Harry Gray discusses those challenges here. 

I'm hearing that Emirates has taken delivery of an Airbus A380 with OnAir's SwiftBroadband-supported in-flight Wi-Fi solution, and that a second OnAir-fitted aircraft is due to arrive this week (aircraft registrations - A6-EDN and and A6-EDO).

So, is it time to power up those devices and turn on in-flight Wi-Fi? And just how much will Emirates charge passengers to use the service? I'm sure we'll hear the details soon. For reference, however, Oman Air - also a customer of OnAir - charges passengers $29.95 for 26 MB per flight for Internet.

For the last couple of years, Emirates has been fitting its fleet with AeroMobile's in-flight mobile connectivity solution. By the end of the year, some 87 Emirates aircraft will offer AeroMobile on board.

However,  when it came to connectivity for the A380, Emirates tapped OnAir to firstly bring Wi-Fi to its passengers and later a mobile connectivity solution akin to what is offered on the carrier's AeroMobile-equipped aircraft. A joint venture between Airbus and SITA, OnAir is the only firm with linefit offerable status on the A380 (so, if Emirates had wanted something else, the carrier would have needed to bolt it on post-delivery via retrofit).

In any case, it's great to see connectivity finally coming to the A380!

Thales and Panasonic are at least "three to five years away from providing Chip & Pin PCI-compliant seat-back screen solutions". But even if their systems were complaint, passengers may be reticent to enter credit card info in such a highly public space (i.e. seated beside passengers).

That's the jaw-dropping claim made to RWG today by Brett Proud, executive vice president of global sales and client support' for GuestLogix, a firm that is best known for its point-of-sale (POS) handheld devices, but which will shortly announce a deal to provide the full back-end processing behind a major European carrier's in-flight entertainment (IFE) systems.
 
The reason GuestLogix was selected by the airline? "Chip & Pin is important and the IFE provider couldn't provide a solution," says Proud.

So how will this work? Once a passenger completes his or her purchases via the IFE system, the passenger "goes into a virtual checkout lane", says Proud, and the flight attendant sees what seat number is in the virtual checkout lane and can take the POS handheld to the passenger "and process Chip & Pin".
 
From a pure transactional perspective, GuestLogix will serve as the merchant of record, taking the transactions through to the bank, paying the carrier post-authorization and settlement, and taking a percentage for itself. GuestLogix also assumes risk in this regard, such as for refunds, but it will provide a full, outsourced processing service for IFE, says Proud. The service will be rolled out in March.

Well alrighty then. It's little wonder that APEX plans to discuss the topic of Chip & Pin at a future tech committee hearing.
 
I should note that Thales' Stuart Dunleavy earlier this year told me that, for the firm's next generation IFE system, "rather than a swipe we're going with a credit card insert so that this takes into account Chip & Pin technology as well in the future, which we see as a very important emerging technology".

We'll have more from Brett later...

Panasonic Avionics is considering developing another generation of in-flight entertainment (IFE) systems to specifically meet the needs of the retrofit market, a senior industry source reveals.

IFE systems that are designed for retrofit generally have a lower cost of development because they do not necessarily need to pass all the manufacturing processes and specification requirements that Boeing and Airbus have defined for linefit offerability.

A source tells RWG that Panasonic is warming to the idea of creating retrofit-ready IFE "to take advantage of the lower costs" of bringing such systems to market, and the lower prices it could offer to airlines.

Panasonic and Thales are the industry leaders in IFE, having each spent many millions of dollars on ensuring their embedded IFE systems meet airframers' stringent qualifications. However, in recent years, other IFE providers have managed to generate business with systems that must be installed through retrofit as they have not yet received offerability.

California-based Lumexis is probably the most visible of the newcomers, having provided FlyDubai with a green field installation strategy that ensures the carrier's new Boeing 737s undergo speedy retrofit in Seattle as soon as they roll off the line. The first FlyDubai aircraft has already been equipped with Lumexis' fiber optics-based IFE and received supplemental type certification.

But other IFE suppliers are also nipping at the heels of Thales and Panasonic. IMS recently scored a deal with SriLankan to bring its seat-centric IFE system to the carrier's widebody fleet. Royal Jordanian recently completed installation on an Airbus A340 of a new IFE system developed by Zodiac unit Sicma Aero Seat. And last week I highlighted a new IFE system from Taiwanese firm SkyGem (an eagle-eyed reader has pointed out that one of the buttons is sticking on the SkyGem system in the photos).

While some observers suspect that the likes of Lumexis, IMS and Sicma are less focused on offerability, reasoning that it is 'more pain than it's worth', others believe Lumexis, in particular, could yet surprise.

Lumexis' system is making airframers stand up and take notice, says a high-level source, as it is vastly lighter than traditional IFE.

Should Panasonic offer a lower-cost, retrofit-ready system, however, airlines will have yet another option to consider.

Feels like a game of chess, no? :0)

It's alive! In-flight entertainment firm SkyGem turned on the power for its new integrated IFE/seat at #Zhuhai10 and we've got the pics. Enjoy! Final snap shows arm-mount IFE solution.






  

US Airways, my hometown airline, is such a cranky pants when it comes to in-flight entertainment and connectivity (IFEC). Not only does the carrier not intend to bring in-seat entertainment to its domestic fleet anytime soon, but it's not convinced it should offer Gogo in-flight Internet beyond its Airbus A321 fleet (even though we're all getting used to the option on other carriers).

Here's US Airways' reasoning, care of a Q&A in its latest employee newsletter.

US flight attendants hold one of the most thankless jobs in the air transportation system (eclipsed, perhaps, only by the role of TSA screener).

Airlines' pursuit of ancillary revenue has led to the unbundling of in-flight services, and in turn flight attendants have been forced to add cashier to an ever-growing job description that already includes waitress, safety instructor and enforcer, salesperson, sky police, nurse, babysitter, and in-flight entertainment troubleshooter.

Armed with handheld credit-card readers, flight attendants now spend some serious time facilitating onboard transactions for increasingly profitable airlines even as they've watched their own pay checks take nose dives in recent years.

So yeah, I understand why flight attendants can be a cranky bunch. What I don't understand is why they are so deeply opposed to in-flight connectivity.

According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA wants the government to ban in-flight Wi-Fi, after terrorists tried to turn printer cartridges into bombs in an ultimately failed attempt to destroy two US-bound freighter aircraft. Add the AFA-CWA's latest request to the union's long-standing hostility to in-flight mobile connectivity and you've got one very large group of employees standing in opposition to all forms of passenger connectivity.

Government agencies may seek to have in-flight Wi-Fi removed from aircraft due to fears it can detonate an explosive, but "the fact is that an explosive rigged to be triggered by Wi-Fi can be detonated without the aid of in-flight Wi-Fi Internet connectivity," notes travel expert Steven Frischling, who tangles with the TSA on a regular basis (he's the guy who told the world about the TSA's directive in the wake of last year's panty bomb attempt).

Says Frischling:

"Should a bomb maker design a device that can be triggered by Wi-Fi, they could attach that trigger to some sort of Wi-Fi enabled device with a long battery life, disable the "sleep" function and increase the signal receiving strength of the device without altering the look, profile or design of a device, such as a cheep $200 'netbook'.

"All someone on board a flight would need to do to set off the triggers is find that netbook's pre-created wireless network from another laptop on board. Cheap signal boosters can easily cover the area of most aircraft, especially if the person detonating the device has the ability to place their trigger netbook in a pocket and walk to different lavatory areas to search for the signal from the privacy of the lavatory.

"Other devices, that are far easier to pack and disguise for both checked bags an carry on bags, are likely to be explored before Wi-Fi due to simplicity, size and cost. A device such as Tamrac Microsync, intended for photographers, can easily go unnoticed due to its ultra compact size and be effective within a range of 100 feet (a Boeing 777-300 is only approximately 242 feet in length).

"The likelihood of an actual in-flight Wi-Fi Internet connection being used to detonate a device is unlikely for various reasons, however in flight Wi-Fi connectivity could become the focus of security agencies as a diversionary tactic. A diversionary tactic that would cost airlines and in-flight entertainment and connectivity (IFEC) providers millions or dollars in revenue, as well as needlessly cost people their jobs."

Will flight attendants convince the US government to ban in-flight Wi-Fi in the name of security? That's anyone's guess. But let's not forget how the union successfully mobilized its troops in 2005 when the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) dared to propose relaxing the current ban on in-flight cellular telephone use.

Flight attendants bombarded the agency with concerns about the impact of mobile connectivity on everything from air rage and emergency communications to potential interference with aircraft navigation equipment and - who can forget - terrorist coordination using phones.

Years later, when in-flight Wi-Fi became available on board US aircraft thanks to Aircell and Row 44, flight attendants raised new concerns about having to act as "porn police" because airlines initially did not intend to filter obscene Internet content. Some airlines bended, but the porn-in-the-skies threat proved to be a non-issue.

Yet, the AFA-CWA uses the in-flight etiquette argument time and again. It's latest campaign involves trying to convince lawmakers to pass FAA reauthorization legislation because it will, among other things, "ban cell phone use in-flight and many other improvements for flight attendants".

Sorry guys and gals, if my flight is going down due to the detonation of a Tamrac Microsync-turned-bomb, I'd like to make a few calls to loved ones. Wouldn't you?!?

Comac is cutting deals left and right to bring new in-flight entertainment (IFE) systems to its C919 aircraft.

For instance, Thales has just signed a letter of intent with Comac and a memorandum of understanding with China Electronics Technology Avionics to create a joint venture company that will integrate the Thales IFE system in the cabin of the C919 aircraft.

"The Thales system installed will be a scalable platform offering a modular entertainment experience which will include interactive audio solutions through to full in-seat on-demand services. Future evolutions of this system may include wireless networks and connectivity," says Thales in a statement today.

The deal falls on the heels of Comac's announcement in October that it has selected Rockwell Collins to provide a seat-centric IFE system for the C919 (and in so doing, Rockwell is effectively jumping back into the in-seat IFE game).

But lo, there's more. Flightglobal's Australian correspondent Will Horton says Comac is also working with a firm called SkyGem for new IFE. Note, this appears to still be in the "pitching" stage.

I'll let you know when the pictures surface on Flightglobal (yep, Will has got the goods from the #Zhuhai10 show in China).

SkyGem bills its interactive IFE as "revolutionary".

The system "uses the latest network architecture and technology in TV broadcasting, audio/video on-demand, games, and point of sales to enhance airline revenue", says the company.

It's clear that airlines will have numerous choices of IFE for the C919. But I gotta wonder if the sector is getting to be a bit of a crowded house (i.e. can all the newbies really capture enough business to stay alive?)

By now, most of you are aware that Lumexis has completed installation of its lightweight fiber optics-based in-flight entertainment system (IFE) - integrated with Recaro seats - on the first of many FlyDubai Boeing 737s.

But the story of how the retrofit was accomplished is fascinating, and worth highlighting.

Because the Lumexis system is not (yet) linefit offerable, Boeing delivered the 737 to FlyDubai with a full set of Recaro seats sans IFE (the aircraft boasts Boeing's new 'Sky Interior').

Then the aircraft was taken to third party MRO facility ATS in Seattle, where the Recaro seats were removed, along with the floor panels and sidewall linings. The Lumexis glass fiber wiring was fitted above the windows (not under the floor) and run to the head-end server units in the IFE rack. See photos below and then read on.





After the technicians closed everything up, the new integrated IFE/seats were installed. Isn't the finished product sweet?




And what became of the standard Recaro seats that were delivered with the aircraft? They are being recycled back to Boeing for the next FlyDubai 737 delivery, and subsequent removal by ATS for the next retrofit.

Lumexis discussed the retrofit project at last week's APEX technical committee meeting in Los Angeles (a meeting that was, by all accounts, a great success).

A special thanks to Lumexis for the pictures accompanying this piece, including this graphic illustrating an important difference between conventional IFE systems and the Lumexis design.

Also during the meeting, APEX approved MPEG-4 Part 10 standard for video compression at long last.

Attendees also learned that the 'iPads as IFE' concept isn't all it's cracked up to be because studios are not granting early window content for iPads. Notably absent from the committee meeting were BlueBox and Stellar Inflight, which got the whole iPad ball rolling when they revealed a deal with Jetstar.

Makes you wonder what BlueBox was going on about in May when it said: "And with our proprietary bluebox security solution, the Ai is fully approved for early-window IFE content, just like all other products in the bluebox range."  

Updated to include Boeing comment.

Yesterday we ruminated about whether or not Boeing 787 customers should demand a retrofit of last generation in-flight entertainment (IFE) systems post-delivery as compensation for the programme's lengthy delays. Today, let's talk about whether or not 787 customers should demand new IFE systems pre-delivery. Boeing appears to be under pressure to do just that.

According to a source, United Airlines wants "Fusion" - B/E Aerospace's slim economy-class seats with Panasonic Avionics' Integrated Smart Monitor - for the 787 order it inherited from its merger with Continental Airlines.

The "Continental" 787s arrive far earlier than United's 787s (with delivery of aircraft 45 currently slated to begin mid-2011, followed by delivery of aircraft 46, 52, 53 and 55). United would ideally like Fusion to be linefit to the much-delayed twinjets, says the source.

Could this be part of possible 787 delay compensation to customers?

One hurdle to bringing Fusion linefit to the 787 has apparently been jumped. I hear that Fusion has received "technical offerabiilty" on the 787. Technical offerability? Yes, apparently, Boeing has created this term for seats that need to be quickly added to the 787 catalogue - seats that have been deemed low-risk due to the good standing of their suppliers.

Boeing says:

"The term 'technically viable' is a term we use to describe when a seat has met the technical requirements for Boeing offerability. However, seat offerability (including integrated seat+IFE or seat by itself) is based on multiple criteria being met. Meeting the technical requirements is just one of those requirements. Others include meeting design requirements, having strong market interest, matching Boeing strategies, etc."

One supplier that is no longer deemed low risk is Koito, whose seats are no longer offerable on Boeing or Airbus aircraft due to the Japanese firm's egregious practices. Koito falsified test results on 150,000 seats in the world fleet. Continental was a major customer of Koito with some 278 aircraft in the carrier's fleet carrying Koito seats.

In any case, with Continental now tapping B/E for seats on its Boeing narrowbodies, and looking to bring B/E seats to its 787s - and with other former Koito customers banging on B/E's door - the seat manufacturer is cooking with gas.

Incidentally, United isn't the only carrier vying to get B/E seats with the Integrated Smart Monitor. I understand that 787 customer LAN is eyeing the same integrated IFE/seat.

Add publicized Fusion customer Delta Air Lines to the list (Delta has opted for the Weber seat integrated with Panasonic's smart monitor), and you have a fast-growing list for these cohesive IFE/seats.

Continental PR could not be immediately reached for comment. 

Although many of them have been reticent to talk about it, Boeing 787 suppliers have watched a lot of their kit sit on shelves for the last few years. And in-flight entertainment (IFE) hardware manufacturers are no exception.

Astronics, which sells in-seat power systems to the IFE suppliers, has revealed it isn't shipping any product for the 787 right now and doesn't believe it will do much work for the programme in 2011 because, as CEO Peter Gundermann noted in a recent earnings conference call, "we've already shipped 30 shipsets or so of product to our customers for the 787 already. We did that last year, even the year before. So we're a little bit ahead of the curve."

What that means for Astronics, he says, "is that when Boeing starts ramping up 787 and all of the suppliers around the world start talking about the 787 impact on their financials, we're going to be strangely silent. That doesn't mean we're off the program; it just means that we've got to wait for that inventory that we've already shipped to get through the process."

Gundermann's comment begs the larger question - just how much IFE kit is growing dust as the 787 awaits delivery?

While declining to talk specifics, Thales - which won a lot of early 787 IFE contracts - and Panasonic in 2009 revealed their financials have been profoundly impacted by the twinjet's repeated delays.

Indeed, the 787's tardiness has been a major nightmare for IFE manufacturers because they don't get paid until the aircraft are delivered. I hear there is a warehouse in Seattle full of 2-3 year old Thales equipment that has yet to be fitted to aircraft.

With the lifecycle of IFE at about 18 months (in terms of new equipment and ideas), a 3-year wait equates to nearly two turns, and means that airlines will be taking 787s with old IFE equipment.

So what should airlines do? Using the delay as leverage, airlines are likely negotiating aircraft price reductions. But might they also be able to negotiate a refresh on equipment (i.e. Boeing agrees to fund retrofits post-delivery)? This sort of agreement could be especially important for airlines that are retrofitting current fleets with the latest, highly-integrated IFE/seats on offer from both Thales and Panasonic and/or in-flight connectivity. Isn't it logical for airlines to tell Boeing: "The rest of my aircraft are going to have the new integrated seats. Why should I accept the 787 with old seats and IFE?" 

Star Alliance carrier All Nippon Airways is scheduled to take delivery of the first 787 in the mid-first quarter of 2011. The carrier will offer Panasonic's eX2 system, but it will be a couple generations old.