Inflight Entertainment and Communications Industry Fact Sheet

Current/Emerging High-End Inflight Technologies:

• Personal “Distributed” Video: at-seat individual monitors (located in seat-back or

arm-rest) that offer 9-24 or more video channels and up to 72+ audio channels of

programming distributed on a pre-established cycle to all passengers from a central

system; quickly becoming the standard on long- haul aircraft. Manufacturers of this

equipment include: Panasonic Avionics Corp., Rockwell Collins, Thales Avionics Inc.

• Audio/Video-On-Demand (AVOD): a wide selection of digitally stored audio and

video content that passengers may independently ``order up`` at any time (as opposed to

“Distributed Video,” which provides a pre-established cycle/schedule of programs) from

their personal video monitors; passengers may also stop, start, pause, rewind

programming and access other interactive features. Beginning to become the standard in

premium cabins (first and business-class) on long- haul aircraft. See (below) list of

airlines offering AVOD. Manufacturers of this equipment include: Panasonic Avionics

Corp., Rockwell Collins, Thales Avionics Inc., Delta Belta In-Flight, Inc.

• Airlines Offering AVOD on Long-Haul Aircraft (not an official list; AVOD

not necessarily offered on entire fleet; typically offered only in premium cabins):

Air Canada, Air France, Air New Zealand (2005), Alitalia, ANA, Cathay Pacific

Airways, China Airlines, EgyptAir, Emirates, Etihad Airways, First Choice

Airways, Jazz, Japan Airlines, Kenya Airlines, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, LAN,

Lion Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Northwest Airlines, Qantas Airways, Qatar

Airlines, Royal Brunei Airlines, SAS, Saudi Arabian Airlines, Singapore Airlines,

SONG, South African Airways, SWISS, Thai Airways, Turkish Airlines, US

Airways, VARIG Brazilian Airlines, Virgin Atlantic Airways. Featured in

premium cabins on newer long- haul aircraft; some airlines offer AVOD

cabinwide on some of their fleet (Air Canada, Emirates, LAN, Malaysia Airlines,

Singapore Airlines, SONG, South African Airways, SWISS, US Airways).

• Inflight Satellite TV: real- time and/or live audio/video programming fed directly to the

aircraft via satellite; passengers may independently access 24 or more channels of digitalquality

audio/video (similar to, or identical to, the programming they receive via home

satellite dishes).

• In April 2000, New York-based JetBlue Airways launched in service with 24

channels using DirecTV Satellite service (now 36 channels). Frontier Airlines was

the second airline (in 2003) to offer this service cabinwide on its 17-aircraft

Airbus fleet. Song—Delta Air Line’s new low-cost carrier—began offering 24

channels of DISH Network programming (through Echostar) in October 2003.

WestJet (Canada) launched its satellite TV service on 4 July 2004, using Bell

ExpressVu, Canada’s direct-to-home satellite television service. Virgin Blue to

launch in 3rd Quarter 2005.

• Rockwell Collins is currently testing its “Tailwind 560” multi-regional satellite

TV system.

• Inflight Satellite Radio: XM Satellite Radio offered on AirTran and (later in 2005) on

JetBlue Airways

• Inflight SMS: passengers may send/receive e-mail and SMS (which is

forwarded/received periodically via an air-to-ground satellite link to the Worldwide

Web). Companies offering or developing service: OnAir (Airbus, SITA, Tenzing

Communications), ARINC Inc., Panasonic Avionics Corp., ASI Entertainment, Delta

Beta In-Flight, Inc.

• Cathay Pacific Airways, Emirates, Singapore Airlines, Lauda Air, Austrian

Airlines, Qantas Airways, China Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Asiana Airlines,

Virgin Atlantic Airways, KLM.

• Inflight ‘Real-Time’ Internet/E-mail Access: using passenger’s notebook computer or

an installed interface, the passenger may directly access the Worldwide Web and

send/receive e- mail, all in real-time, via an air-to-ground satellite link to the Worldwide

Web. Currently this service is offered in revenue service through Connexion By Boeing.

Other companies offering or developing this service: OnAir (Airbus, SITA, Tenzing

Communications), AirTV, Thales Avionics Inc., AeroMobile (Arinc Inc., Telenor), Delta

Belta In-Flight, Inc.

• On 17 May 2004, Lufthansa German Airlines launched the Connexion By

Boeing real-time, wireless-based high-speed Internet connectivity service on an

A340-300 flying the Munich-to-Los Angeles route. Other Airlines now featuring

the Connexion By Boeing service: Singapore Airlines, SAS, All Nippon Airways,

Japan Airlines, China Airlines (mid 2005), Korean Air (later in 2005), El Al Israel

(second half of 2005). Rates: US$29.95 for entire flight; US$9.95 for 30 minutes

and 25 cents per minute thereafter.

• Handheld Audio/Video-On-Demand (AVOD) Units: portable, individual, hand-held

digital audio- video units offered to passengers; content is stored and played back ondemand

from the unit’s hard drive. 15-30 or more full- length films, extensive shortsubject

programming, 100 music albums, digital newspapers, e-books, video games, and

more.

• Wencor “digEplayer”: Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, CanJet, KLM,

Aeroflot, North American Airlines, Monarch, SilkAir, Independence Air,

Midwest Airlines, Pacific Blue, Jetstar, Icelandair

• IMS “Personal Entertainment Appliance”: American Airlines (trial), VARIG

Brazilian, Jet Airways, Harmony Airways

• Astronics Corp. “Yes! Solo”: Virgin Atlantic

• Panasonic Avionics Corp: product to be launched 2nd-half of 2005

• Other Premium-Cabin IFE Features:

Video games (often also featured cabinwide; multiplayer games), inseat power, noisecancelling

headsets, dolby headphone sound, larger PTV screen-size (up to 19-inch); flatplasma

monitors for main-screen video; portable DVD-players + library of films; view

from externally mounted cameras; ‘graphical’ map sho wing aircraft’s progress on flight

route, air-speed, distance/time to destination, etc.

Trends in Development

• Inflight Cell-Phone Use: service and technology that enables passengers to use their

cellular phones while inflight; technology limits cell-phone signals to eliminate possible

interference both with the wider ground cellular network and with cabin electronics.

Testing and regulatory review currently underway on a number of systems offered by:

QUALCOMM; AirCell; AeroMobile (Arinc Inc., Telenor); OnAir (Airbus, SITA, and

Tenzing Communications); Altobridge; Verizon Airfone.

Innovative Programming

•Blockbuster films, classic films, sporting events, news, nature/documentary, children`s

programming, educational/instructional programming

•Made-for-TV/Made-for-Cable programming, syndicated television series, locallyproduced

regional “route-specific” programs

•``Video Magazines`` incorporating short subjects, news, documentaries, sports,

informational/instructional programs—often produced and “branded” specifically for the

airline

•Route-specific programming (local news, music, sports, etc.), multiple-language

channels

•Destination city guides; local current event calendars

•Inflight Audio: Region-specific music channels; featured recording artists, new albums,

interviews; featured music genres; comedy; news/current affairs; destination information;

business information/interviews.

Inflight Editing Standards

Varies somewhat by airline and by region, but generally inflight editing standards (for

main-screen exhibition) are similar to, but more conservative than TV-editing standards.

No airline crash scenes or references to airline disasters; careful about terrorism or

references to terrorism; no nudity/sex scenes (U.S./Asia more conservative than Europe);

no profanity; no images of/references to other airlines; no racist comments or denigrating

references to culture, religion, or nationality; careful about violence and bloodshed

(U.S./Asia less sensitive than Europe); careful about references to guns, drug abuse,

physical abuse. Most ideal inflight film genres: comedy, romantic-comedy, light

adventure.

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