McLEAN, Va., USA, 5 May 2008 – The World Airline Entertainment Association (WAEA) is now accepting entries for two Avion Awards – Best Single Achievement in Inflight Entertainment (IFE) and Best Achievement in Technology. Participation is open to airlines and industry suppliers (hardware, software, distributors, labs, and service companies), and entries will be accepted through 30 June. The WAEA’s Avion Awards program honors excellence in inflight entertainment (IFE) and this marks the 20th year of the coveted awards.

The Best Single Achievement in IFE recognizes one airline in the world for an extraordinary accomplishment during the previous twelve months, 1 June 2007 through 31 May 2008. Any airline interested in entering an IFEsuccess story must submit a 1,000-word description of the achievement using the online entry form available atwww.waea.org. The execution, whether hardware-, software-, or content-related, will be judged by a jury of peers within the IFE community and representative of each segment. Finalists will be selected to present their submissions to a judging panel as well as during the WAEA 29th Annual Conference & Exhibition in Long Beach, CA, 8-11 September 2008 education sessions. The winner will be awarded at the Avion Awards ceremony and reception to be held Monday evening, 8 September, at the conference.

“We listened to feedback from our judges and the industry and have revised the criteria for entry into this category,” says Doug Backelin, WAEA President. “Rather than recognizing ongoing improvement of content or hardware, the Best Single Achievement in IFE is designed to highlight one noteworthy accomplishment. By more narrowly defining the criteria for this award, we hope to attract more participants.”

Additionally, WAEA is accepting submissions for Best Achievement in Technology. This category is open to airlines and industry suppliers recognizing significant advancements in IFE technology. Entry forms for this award also are available on the WAEA Web site, www.waea.org and entries will be accepted through 30 June, 2008. Collaborative ventures between two or more companies may be entered allowing more than one company that assisted in the development of a technology achievement to submit the same achievement in the competition. The criterion for this category has been revised as well to accommodate all segments of the industry. Similar to the Best Single Achievement in IFE, entries will be judged by a panel of peers; however, no additional presentations to a judging panel will be required. The winner also will be announced at the Avion Awards ceremony and reception to be held Monday, 8 September at the WAEA 29th Annual Conference & Exhibition inLong Beach, CA.

“The WAEA Avion Awards competition is an industry landmark with companies from around the world vying for the prestigious honor among various categories,” Backelin says. “Rewarding excellence creates an ongoing desire among all of us to elevate our industry standards, explore new opportunities, and continually push the level of our performance to new heights. We hope to have terrific participation from all of our member companies and I look forward to awarding the winners at our premier industry gathering, the WAEA Annual Conference & Exhibition, in just a few months.”

For more information about the WAEA Avion Awards or the inflight entertainment industry, visit the WAEA Web site at www.waea.org or conference, contact Elinor Kinnier, ekinnier@cmgresults.com or +1.703.610.0204.

About WAEA: Founded in 1979 as a nonprofit organization, the WAEA is the official worldwide network representing nearly 100 airlines and more than 250 airline suppliers committed to excellence in inflight entertainment and communication and the continual improvement of the airline passenger environment.