Air India’s widebody retrofit, a USD 400 Million exercise, will see the airline change everything from the outside paint on the aircraft to the seats and the cabin layout. The intention is to make these aircraft “as good as new.” It is a big project for everyone in the aviation ecosystem and big bucks for everyone involved. While previously we wrote about the seat supplier, now we also know who will provide the entertainment systems.

Thales wins contract to retrofit Air India’s 777 and 787 IFEs

Air India’s 777 and 787 fleet retrofits will start in the second half of 2024, as discussed with Air India management. The first aircraft to go in for a retrofit will be a 787-8, and this exercise will be fully completed by the end of 2025. Air India has selected Thales’ AVANT Up inflight entertainment solution for 51 aircraft, including the 40 Boeing 777 and 787-8 aircraft it intends to retrofit.

Thales will upgrade and retrofit Air India’s current fleet of 40 Boeing 777s and 787s with its AVANT Up system, starting in 2024 and continuing through 2025. Additionally, Thales will install AVANT Up IFE on Air India’s 11 new Airbus and Boeing aircraft, with deliveries to commence in 2025. This adds to an impressive roster of existing clients for Thales AVANT Up, which includes American Airlines’ 787s and A321XLRs, Emirates’ 777X and A350 aircraft and Ethiopian Airlines A350-1000 aircraft.

The first six A350-900, which Air India is inducting in a flyaway condition, have the Panasonic eX3 IFE, and the currently installed IFE on the Boeing 787-8 of Air India is also an ancient version of Thales older systems.

AVANT Up offers many possibilities for integrating various services and applications, such as an interactive 3D map and immersive route-based programming. Thales’ AVANT Up features Optiq, a 4K QLED HDR display designed in partnership with HARMAN, a Samsung company, to provide the best viewing experience in the air with unrivalled picture quality. Optiq features in-screen USB-A and USB-C high-speed charging ports and is the only display with two Bluetooth connections and built-in Wi-Fi. With Optiq, passengers can pair their wireless headphones or other devices to the display while also charging their phones and laptops with the 60 W power supply in seat. I had a brief opportunity to play around with the system at the Aircraft Interiors Expo 2023 in Hamburg, and the solution truly stands out.

On this selection, Rajesh Dogra, the Chief Customer Experience Officer of Air India, said,

Air India is committed to providing a world-class travel experience to its passengers. Partnering with Thales for its top-of-the-class AVANT Up inflight entertainment systems is a step in the direction of our transformation programme. This latest inflight entertainment technology will allow us to stay at the forefront of aviation technology and will help us provide our passengers with a unique onboard entertainment system.

Ashish Saraf, VP and Country Director for India, Thales, said,

India is the fastest growing aviation market in the world, with huge potential for further growth. This sets the stage for airlines to elevate overall flying experience of passengers. We are pleased to support Air India in achieving the ambition of providing superior customer experience with our advanced AVANT Up inflight entertainment.

Bottomline

Air India has selected Thales’ Avant UP IFE solution, which will feature the capability to pair up to two Bluetooth devices in one go and a 4K OLED monitor for their upcoming aircraft retrofit of 40 777/787 aircraft, as well as 11 new A350 and 787 aircraft to be inducted in their fleet. The retrofit project starts in mid-2024 and will be completed by 2025.

What do you make of the new selection by Air India of Thales for its inflight entertainment platform?

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