Panasonic Avionics is to install its Astrova in-flight entertainment (IFE) and a range of digital services on Ait India’s new widebody aircraft.

The flag carrier of India will see the Astrova line on 34 of its widebody aircraft on order: six Airbus A350-1000s, 14 A350-900s and 14 Boeing 787-9s.

The wide-ranging and diverse fleet of aircraft that will receive the IFE marks Panasonic Avionics’ introduction of the Astrova system in India.

Panasonic will transform Air India’s in-flight experience by offering its passengers a fully immersive experience through Astrova providing 4K OLED HDR10+ displays with accurate colour reproduction, infinite contrast ratios and perfect blacks. High-fidelity sound with spatial audio will also be delivered to any wired headset or to the passengers’ own wireless headphones using Bluetooth.

Passengers will have access to 67W of USB-C direct power at their seat, offering fast charging facilities throughout the entire flight for their mobile phones, tablets, compatible laptops and other personal electronic devices. The features of the Astrova IFE also include LED lighting designed to enhance the passenger experience by adjusting the cabin ambience for comfort.

Air India has also chosen Panasonic Technical Services (PTS) to provide support to its in-service aircraft fitted with the IFE systems.

“We are happy to continue our relationship with Panasonic Avionics which will contribute to elevating the travel experience of our passengers,” said Nipun Aggarwal, chief commercial officer at Air India (www.airindia.com). “The integration of the Astrova IFE and cutting-edge digital services on some of our aircraft marks an exciting step forward in redefining our inflight offerings for years to come.”

Hernan Abbes, vice president at Panasonic Avionics, added: “We are honoured that Air India has chosen to continue their collaboration with Panasonic Avionics as we support their ambitious digital transformation journey. Our Astrova IFE is designed to provide an immersive and unparalleled inflight experience for their passengers, while redefining the ownership experience with its modular design, enabling Air India to fully embrace digitalisation, develop bespoke interactive features and achieve significant operational cost savings.”

Panasonic Avionics (www.panasonic.aero) pioneered the industry beginning in 1979 and has introduced innovations that enable customer experiences and enhance airline loyalty, ancillary revenue and operational efficiency. More than 200 airlines across the world have chosen to install Panasonic in-flight engagement, satellite wifi connectivity and digital services on their aircraft. Panasonic Avionics is headquartered in California with over 3500 employees and operates in 50 locations around the globe.