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

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:

2. From better screens to: Much. Better. Screens. In-Flight Entertainment’s looking good.

3. Emirates chooses Thales

????More on this to follow.

4. High-Tech Seats

https://twitter.com/speedbird_ncl/status/791198978910060546

5. Airbus has ambitious plans for connected aircraft.

6. Thoughts on making air travel better

7. GEE delivers onboard health apps

8. Virtual Reality amps-up digital design capabilities

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:

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.

????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!

16. A review of the year’s hot stories (and Corporate B-Days) from APEX

17. See you next year!

Written by

Marisa Garcia

Putting words to work.