Rockwell Collins is announcing today a strategic U-turn that will see it re-enter the market for new in-seat in-flight entertainment systems with the unveiling of PAVES 3, a single-aisle IFEC system that will deliver "unprecedented versatility and maximum reliability".
Building upon Rockwell Collins' PAVES and digital dPAVES overhead systems, which are installed on 1,600 aircraft, the PAVES 3 system features a scalable high-definition in-seat solution.
"Rockwell Collins PAVES 3 is the only single-aisle digital in-flight entertainment system to offer customizable cabin configurations," said the firm. "Airlines can select from a variety of overhead and in-seat monitor combinations throughout the aircraft. The HD on-demand, in-seat solution maximizes passenger and operator satisfaction with a vast range of innovative features powered by a robust operating system."
Passengers can connect their mobile devices to the PAVES 3 system to access their personal content, such as movies and games, and view it on the HD in-seat monitors. Other capabilities of the PAVES 3 in-seat monitors include an operating system that supports applications from numerous sources, flexible content storage that suits individual airlines' needs, a quick-release mechanism for easy maintenance, live updates from digital news sources and magazines, and real-time monitoring through remote diagnostics.
A long-time IFEC hardware supplier to commercial carriers, Rockwell Collins' eTES and dTES in-flight entertainment systems are in operation on myriad aircraft in the world fleet, and the firm has continued to support these solutions for its customers.
But the company's decision in the middle of the last decade not to develop embedded IFE for the Boeing 787 and Airbus A380 programmes effectively diminished the firm's role as a major contender, leaving Panasonic and Thales as the main players on the field.
Rockwell Collins is focused on the single-aisle market with PAVES 3, although it is studying the feasibility of enabling the system for existing customers of eTES and dTES.
"Single-aisle aircraft operations present a unique set of requirements for in-flight entertainment," said Dave Austin, vice president and general manager, cabin and electroMechanical systems for Rockwell Collins. "PAVES 3 provides the features passengers want while meeting the needs of airlines to make quick gate turns without additional content loading or maintenance."
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news
