
APEX EXPO was an exciting week with lots going on. So many stories. These are only a few.
1. Does the rise of ‘greener’ digital media herald an end for print in-flight
Digital takes a swipe at print #IFE: Survey results on airline content offerings & pax media consumption habits -> https://t.co/9rNDRsxnLy pic.twitter.com/JwnBrV5FdN
— APEX (@theAPEXassoc) October 28, 2016
This seems to run counter recent news that Millennials actually enjoy the touch and feel of reading a real newspaper onboard.
I phased into digital print for travel a long time ago–as soon as the first e-books came out, when the web still went ‘wheeeeerp’. Why? I don’t like to carry paper weight around.
“According to research from Boeing, removing the weight of print newspapers and magazines equates to an annual savings of over $4.5 million for a fleet of wide-body aircraft operating 1,000 flights per day.”
Related:
"We're moving from a mobile first into a mobile only world," says @google's Max Coppin #APEXEXPO
— APEX (@theAPEXassoc) October 24, 2016
2. From better screens to: Much. Better. Screens. In-Flight Entertainment’s looking good.
Our brand new #4K monitors can reproduce over 1 billion colors, 64 times more than 1080p #PaxEx #APEXEXPO #IFE pic.twitter.com/iSGIM38Nte
— Panasonic Avionics (@PanasonicAero) October 26, 2016
3. Emirates chooses Thales
.@ThalesAerospace and @emirates announce the technology provider's selection for new Boeing 777X aircraft. pic.twitter.com/4Rt2DEQ50A
— FlightChic | ✈️💺 (@designerjet) October 25, 2016
#Thales AVANT #PaxEx solutions are available to all advanced @Airbus and @Boeing aircraft #APEXEXPO #avionics #technology pic.twitter.com/LoB0ce6mct
— Thales Aerospace (@ThalesAerospace) October 25, 2016
????More on this to follow.
4. High-Tech Seats
https://twitter.com/speedbird_ncl/status/791198978910060546
Acro's Andrew Bowen proves just how robust the Series 3 seat is at #AIXA2016! #PaxEx #AvGeek #APEXEXPO pic.twitter.com/BrR1bYSsyN
— APEX (@theAPEXassoc) October 25, 2016
5. Airbus has ambitious plans for connected aircraft.
#APEXEXPO #Airbus flight tests new inflight connectivity architecture https://t.co/OHA7bdq3ZB via @getconnaero
— GetConnected.aero (@Getconnaero) October 25, 2016
.@Airbus has a plan to ensure you have fast WiFi on the plane. Very, very soon. #travel #APEXEXPO pic.twitter.com/aDpiDSnHso
— FlightChic | ✈️💺 (@designerjet) October 25, 2016
6. Thoughts on making air travel better
Overheard at #APEXEXPO – VP Customer Experience, @EL_AL_AIRLINES – #BringItOn pic.twitter.com/Z7h1v0cWYJ
— Inmarsat (@InmarsatGlobal) October 26, 2016
Inspiring talk at #APEXEXPO by @KLM's Van Der Eijk: If you want to be customer focused, you need to know what's binding your people together
— Matthieu Richard (@SpaceMatthieu) October 24, 2016
The good & the great are at #APEXEXPO but it's simple really … treat the pax as you would like your parents treated #paxex
— Michael Kelly (@Michaelkelly707) October 24, 2016
“People are our brand,” says Ryanne Van Der Eijk, SVP, Customer Experience, @KLM on building a customer intimacy strategy #APEXEXPO #PaxEx
— APEX (@theAPEXassoc) October 24, 2016
7. GEE delivers onboard health apps
.@GEE_Media adds #health recommendation app #Airhealth to its #IFE portfolio. #APEXEXPO #PaxEx #AvGeek #JetLag https://t.co/aSQCkhpbMR
— APEX (@theAPEXassoc) October 27, 2016
8. Virtual Reality amps-up digital design capabilities
Here’s @LATAM_CHI having fun customising an aircraft cabin in #vr #htcvive #apex2016 #apexexpo #avgeek pic.twitter.com/arxYQGoFHE
— Neutral Digital (@neutraldigital) October 25, 2016
Airbus’ VR in cabin design application is proving very useful to airline customers.
9. AirFi, portable Wireless IFE provider, announces its 21st airline customer: Nesma Airlines based in Saudi Arabia
- The carrier will deploy AirFi’s Wireless IFE solution on its A320 and A321 aircraft.
- The solution will launch with Nesma in six weeks.
- AirFi’s fully-featured portable Wireless IFE platform lets passengers access DRM and non-DRM movies and TV shows, games, chat, duty free and post-flight shopping and daily updated news and social feeds.
- AirFi currently works with over fifty content providers, including its official regional partner, Onboard International.
- Passengers can access the content using their personal electronic devices to connect to a free onboard Wi-Fi network created by the AirFi boxes positioned throughout the cabin in overhead bins.
- AirFi will initially offer Nesma’s passengers content in English, with the roll-out of Arabic-language content due soon after the solution goes live.
“We’re very proud to announce our first Middle East airline customer, because it’s a new territory for us. It’s a tangible result of our expansion in focus from solely Europe out to the rest of the world.”—Martijn Moret, AirFi’s Chief Innovation Officer and Director of Operations in Asia.
10. Panasonic’s show news in brief:
- China Eastern Announces 35 aircraft deal with Panasonic
- Air Tahiti Nui equips Dreamliners with Panasonic IFEC
- Panasonic and FLM introduce complimentary inflight social media apps
- Panasonic to equip 60 Aeromexico aircraft with IFE
- Panasonic streamlines passenger connectivity and airline operations with ZeroTouch service
- Panasonic named lead supplier for Airbus High-Bandwidth Connectivity Program
- Panasonic to provide IFE for new Biman Dreamliners
11. Zodiac Inflight Innovations touts big gains in IFE
Over the past 6 months: ZII has secured well over 200 new RAVE AVOD IFE systems to equip commercial aircraft:
- four new A350 customers,
- 150 committed B737Max aircraft
- 1st A380 customer
- Over 200 Global Express Connectivity equipped aircraft committed with first installation scheduled early in 2017.
“Our RAVE systems are much easier to maintain than traditional IFE systems which allows airlines to maintain their own aircraft without the added expense of paying a traditional IFE provider for support” says Matt Smith, CEO for Zodiac Inflight Innovations.
12. Inmarsat partner Rockwell Collins confirms significant order for GX Aviation
- A significant contract by a leading short and long-haul European airline for Inmarsat’s new ‘GX for Aviation’ service.
- Builds on and extends Inmarsat’s 20-plus-year partnership with Rockwell Collins, is currently expected to be for in excess of 125 aircraft.
- PAVES™ wireless in-flight entertainment and connectivity (IFEC) solution being installed onboard the airline’s new fleet.
“We are redefining the connected aviation ecosystem by enabling world-class passenger connectivity and enhanced airline operations in partnership with Inmarsat Aviation. Our vision is of connectivity-enabled aircraft operating as secure nodes on an airline’s enterprise IT infrastructure.”—Ken Schreder, Vice President, Strategic Programs at Rockwell Collins.
13. Panasonic’s Captify could revolutionise onboard marketing and retail.
Introducing Captify, the aviation industry’s most advanced #inflight marketing platform. More details: https://t.co/ayjrtVzn5k #APEXEXPO pic.twitter.com/j4b4kMSUSO
— Panasonic Avionics (@PanasonicAero) October 25, 2016
🎉🛍💡💸💎🎈🎊📈💞🌟✨👜💄💼👠🔮my brain contemplates manifold airline brand, marketing and retail opptys of @PanasonicAero systems✈️💵💴💶💷📽📺📲😎🎈‼️#APEXExpo
— FlightChic | ✈️💺 (@designerjet) October 25, 2016
????Sooooo many ideas of how to use this.
14. Rockwell purchase of B/E Aerospace rocked by potential investor challenge.
- Rockwell Collins to Acquire B/E Aerospace for $8.3 Billion in Total Consideration
- B/E Aerospace shareowner will receive total consideration of $62.00 per share, comprised of $34.10 per share in cash and $27.90 in shares of Rockwell Collins common stock, subject to a 7.5% collar.
- This represents a premium of 22.5% to the closing price of B/E Aerospace common stock on Friday, October 21, 2016.
- “Transformative transaction accelerates growth and strengthens Rockwell Collins’ position as a leading supplier of cockpit and cabin solutions”
- Expected to generate run-rate pre-tax cost synergies of approximately $160 million
- Double-digit accretive to earnings per share in first full fiscal year with expected combined five-year free cash flow generation in excess of $6 billion
- Diversifies and balances portfolio across OEM, airline and aftermarket
FORMER ATTORNEY GENERAL OF LOUISIANA: Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC Investigates Adequacy of Price and Process in Proposed Sale of B/E Aerospace
“Under the terms of the proposed transaction, shareholders of B/E will receive only $62.00 in cash and Rockwell Collins stock for each share of B/E that they own. KSF is seeking to determine whether this consideration and the process that led to it are adequate, or whether the consideration undervalues the Company.”
15. Congrats to Air New Zealand and the other winners of this year’s APEX Awards!
APEX Awards: Best #IFE Innovation award goes to Air New Zealand for its IFE, created in partnership with Panasonic Avionics! #APEXEXPO pic.twitter.com/ZqOkPviU05
— APEX (@theAPEXassoc) October 24, 2016
Introducing the 2016 APEX Award Winners | APEX Media https://t.co/9hOleW5sxh via @theAPEXassoc
— FlightChic | ✈️💺 (@designerjet) October 24, 2016
16. A review of the year’s hot stories (and Corporate B-Days) from APEX
This year's top #PaxEx news, according to APEX Daily Experience newsletter #data. Sign up here: https://t.co/m6uZVWRPgo #APEXEXPO #AvGeek pic.twitter.com/MnX3BJguMV
— APEX (@theAPEXassoc) October 27, 2016
This sweet tweet goes out to all of the #PaxEx companies celebrating anniversaries this year! #APEXEXPO #AvGeek pic.twitter.com/EbzI6d0OzF
— APEX (@theAPEXassoc) October 25, 2016
17. See you next year!
Mark your calendars! As #APEXEXPO winds down, next up is #APEXMarket in Berlin, from April 24 to 26. #IFE #PaxEx https://t.co/I4MbCzAKEG
— APEX (@theAPEXassoc) October 27, 2016