June 21, 2007; Paris - THALES Aerospace has so far claimed more than three-quarters of the inflight entertainment system selections for the Boeing 787 – “and we expect to announce more in the near future,” Alan Pellegrini, the company’s vice-president for IFE said here yesterday.

The i5000 version of Thales’ TopSeries audio/video-on-demand hardware has also been selected as a standard option on the Airbus A380, and more than 725 examples of the system have been delivered so far for installation in several single-aisle and widebody types. “In all contract competitions since 2004 we have won more than 40 per cent by number of aircraft, and we now have a total of 35 customers,” said Pellegrini.

“You are still more likely to see a Panasonic system in your aircraft at present,” Alan Pellegrini conceded. “But three years from now you will be just as likely to see Thales hardware. We’re a contender in every deal now, and airlines are beginning to say we’re the preferred option.”

He reported serious interest from the US majors, which have until recently been slow to upgrade their cabins as a result of their post-9/11 financial woes. “We see IFE growing at around 10 per cent over the next 10 years, based on aircraft production figures and the demand for retrofits to in-service aircraft,” he said. “IFE is now an essential part of the passenger service offering – even in the narrowbodies, where a whole new market is opening up.”

Declaring that IFE was now one of the main cost elements of new airliners, Pellegrini revealed that, depending on configuration and aircraft size, a system could cost $2.5-5 million.

The latest carriers to opt for TopSeries are Saudi Arabian Airlines and Libyan operator Afriqiyah Airways. Thales announced yesterday that Saudi Arabian had selected i5000 for 22 Boeing 777-200s. The in-seat hardware will include a laptop power connector, USB port and an RCA jack to allow passengers to view content from their personal entertainment devices through seatback screens ranging in size from 8.9in to 15.4in. First revenue flight of an aircraft fitted with the system is due 12 months from now.

Afriqiyah Airways wants i5000 for a total of nine new Airbus A319s and A320s aircraft. Widescreen 8.9in displays will be fitted throughout the aircraft, with 15in screens wall-mounted displays for the delivery of safety and other information in all classes. TopSeries is being line-fitted, with the first aircraft due to enter revenue service in September.