Panasonic Avionics this week confirmed that Lufthansa has deployed the manufacturer's eX2 in-flight entertainment (IFE) system on its flagship Airbus A380 aircraft.
ATI and Flightglobal in March were the first to report that Lufthansa had picked Panasonic IFE for its A380s. The carrier holds orders for 15 of the type.
In a statement released at the Aircraft Interiors Expo this week in Hamburg, Panasonic said the eX2 in-seat systems, available in every class of service, provide "an enhanced passenger experience with access to a wide variety of audio and video on demand selections including the latest feature films in up to eight languages, TV series, international radio channels, CDs, games, flight and connecting gate information, all displayed on in-seat monitors".
Additionally, the eX2 interface gives passengers a choice of 10 different navigation languages. Power for personal electronic devices is available in first, business class and economy class.
Lufthansa took delivery of its first A380 during a 19 May ceremony at Airbus' Hamburg facility. The inaugural commercial flight will leave Frankfurt on 11 June en route to Tokyo.
Panasonic, meanwhile, announced other accomplishments at the Aircraft Interiors Expo, including that it improved its ranking in the annual Airbus Suppliers Rating.
In the 'cabin suppliers' category, Panasonic was ranked eighth overall, an improvement of six positions from 2008. In the supplier furnished equipment (SFE)/IFE suppliers category, Panasonic improved its ranking by ten positions to the number 19 spot.
The company also celebrated winning a Crystal Cabin award for its integrated smart monitor, the world's first fully integrated IFE/seat solution, which was born of a groundbreaking collaboration with Weber Aircraft and Teague.
"When we started this project, we wanted to address the full realm of challenges with bolt-on IFEC solutions," says Panasonic Avionics director, product management Marshal Perlman.
"To do that, we knew we needed to work together to create an entirely new concept. The Crystal Cabin Award validates our efforts and publicly demonstrates how collaboration can revolutionise both design and function."
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news
