Dubai: Emirates said on Tuesday that it has signed an agreement with Thales to equip its Boeing 777X fleet with the Thales AVANT inflight entertainment system.
The airline will work with Thales to develop and enhance the inflight entertainment and connectivity (IFEC) system to be fitted on its new Boeing 777X aircraft due for delivery starting in mid-2020, according to a company statement.
Emirates did not give the value of the deal.
The investment underscores Emirates’ strategy to ensure the latest technology complements its young and modern fleet.
“Our partnership with Thales represents a significant investment and emphasis on customer experience, which has always been a priority for us,” stated Adel Al Redha, executive vice-president and chief operations officer of Emirates airline.
He added that the new partnership “will help support thousands of highly skilled jobs across the Thales ecosystem — in France and elsewhere around the world.”
The deal covers IFEC systems for Emirates’ first 50 Boeing 777X aircraft. The airline has a firm order of 150 Boeing 777X aircraft.
Emirates offers up to 2,500 channels on demand, including the latest blockbuster movies, award-winning television box sets, comedy series, live TV, music and computer games. Currently, 85 per cent of Emirates’ fleet of 240 passenger aircraft is equipped with Wi-Fi on board, including all A380 aircraft. One hundred and seven aircraft are equipped with live TV, which has up to nine channels of live news and sport.
