Bombardier will make a decision about in-flight entertainment (IFE) systems for the CSeries later this year.
IFE for the single-aisle aircraft is in competition now and a decision on what systems will be offered will be made by the end of this year, says Robert Dewar, vice president of the integrated product development team for the CSeries.
Bombardier has previously said it believes wireless IFE may be a viable solution for the CSeries when the aircraft enters into service in 2013.
The CSeries will also incorporate personal information displays that highlight flight and weather information, Dewar says.
As the airframer prepares to finalize IFE offerings available to customers, Bombardier is still exploring Internet connectivity options as the technology is changing, Dewar says.
In addition, roughly 2% of CSeries supplier contracts are also outstanding.
Items such as tires, windshield wipers and secondary systems have yet to be awarded, he says, adding there is no rush as these deals will come online by 2011 before the design freeze.
As more suppliers are allocated CSeries contracts, companies will be tasked with using a web-based scheduling tool to track their work in an effort to help Bombardier identify potential problems.
Bombardier is only using an enterprise project management software with the CSeries, Bombardier vice president of commercial aircraft programs Ben Boehm says.
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news
