Emirates invests over US $ 350 million in next-generation inflight entertainment systems for new A350 fleet

Emirates has chosen the latest Thales AVANT Up system for its incoming fleet of Airbus A350 aircraft, which is planned for delivery in 2024, as part of its ongoing effort to ensure that customers “fly better.”

With an expenditure of more than US$350 million from the airline, its 50-strong fleet of A350s will be outfitted with advanced inflight entertainment systems that provide a remarkable cinematic and individualized passenger experience.

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The game-changing technology in Thales’ AVANT Up system features Optiq 4k QLED HDR displays – the only aircraft displays using Samsung’s QLED technology to immerse viewers in more than a billion colors. This rich display capability provides the perfect medium for Emirates’ unmatched ice inflight entertainment product which delivers over 5,000 channels of multi-language content including live TV, the latest box office movies, TV shows, and music hits, and the world’s first inflight shopping channel, Emirates RED.

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Emirates’ customers can also look forward to enhanced passenger connectivity with Optiq – the first smart display in the industry to offer two Bluetooth connections, and built-in Wi-Fi for passengers to pair multiple devices including phones, tablets, headphones, or even game controllers, while supporting up to 60 watts USB-C to fast-charge personal devices.

To further enrich passenger engagement, Emirates has chosen a variety of AVANT Up digital services including highly integrated personalization features, expanded personal electronic device (PED) capabilities, and user interface enhancements which also enable visually impaired passengers to have an immersive experience.

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Emirates is also the first airline globally to select Thales’ Pulse, a patented power management technology which will ensure that charging performance will be unaffected no matter how many users are charging their devices at the same time.

Reflecting a shared vision to innovate and shape future inflight experiences, Emirates and Thales also continue to collaborate on programme through Dubai’s Aviation X-Lab, an aviation-specific incubator.