Here is the last I remember:

Air Canada drops IFE bombshells in new marketing offensive

October 19, 2004, Montreal – NEWLY emerged from bankruptcy protection, Air Canada today asserted its determination to return to the air transport leading edge by unveiling a multi-million-dollar image revamp and some startling new developments in its approach to inflight entertainment.

As the voice of Canadian songstress Celine Dion soared amid the roofbeams of Air Canada’s cavernous Technical Centre at Montreal Dorval, CEO Robert Milton stood up in front of thousands of pumped-up staffers to cut the ribbon on an image and service relaunch that includes simplified fares, premium-class lie-flat beds, new aircraft livery, flight-attendant uniforms and cabin styling – and an IFE package that’s little less than revolutionary.

The refinanced carrier is intent on returning to the leading edge of passenger service, Milton said. “As part of that effort, we will be the first airline in the Americas to offer audio/video-on-demand in every seat, in every class, in every aircraft.” Passengers will be offered touchscreen access to up to 80 hours of video and 50 music CDs.

In a move that will shake the IFE industry, the airline has dropped incumbent vendor Matsushita in favour of Thales Avionics. What’s more, it’s planning to score IFE two world firsts. As foreshadowed last month in Inflight Online, in-seat IFE is to be offered in its new regional-jet fleet of Bombardier CRJ 705s and Embraer 175s and 190s. And throughout the Air Canada fleet, from the CRJs up to the long-haul Airbus A340s, the new IFE hardware will be installed in the first-ever fleet application of Montreal-based Inflight Canada’s innovative iCACHE underfloor system.

Details of the contract with Thales are in final negotiation – the European-based company is being called on to help with financing, according to industry sources. But it is expected to cover in excess of 200 shipsets valued at more than US$100 million. The systems involved are i-4000 for the long-haul fleet of Boeing 767-300s and Airbus A330s and A340s, and the newly announced slimmed-down i-4500 for the RJs and the Airbus A320-family fleet.

i-4500 eliminates the synchronised broadcast capability of its i-4000 parent system and substitutes a touchscreen for conventional in-seat passenger control units. Combined with iCACHE – which locates the system’s Ethernet data-distribution switches and monitor power supply in easy-to-reach recesses beneath under-aisle hatches – it does away completely with vulnerable, space-hungry seatboxes.

Each i-4500 installation will comprise a server, two Ethernet switches, i-4000-standard monitors, monitor power supplies, and parallel Ethernet and power-supply cabling.

By the time Air Canada committed in principle to i-4500, Thales engineers had schemed two even more ambitious versions based on combined data and power delivery via a single set of cables. Though the airline has decided on Version 1 in the interests of speedy implementation, Thales says that V2 and V3 are still in line for future development.

i-4500 installations will begin on the Bombardier line turning out new CRJ 705s for delivery from next May. Retrofit of i-4000 on the long-haul fleet is due to begin 11 months from now, though Inflight Canada has declared its readiness to make a start as early as next March.

Commenting on the reborn carrier’s IFE ambitions, senior director marketing George Reeleder told Inflight Online today that Matsushita’s 3000i hardware would be retained on six aircraft already outfitted – a pair of A340s and four 767-300s – while the Thales solutions would be installed on the rest of the fleet.

“Thales impressed me with their after-installation provision,” he said. “I’m fed up with signing deals with IFE vendors and then being nickel-and-dimed to death when it comes to in-service support. Thales were willing to help us with things like content compression and loading – they wanted a true long-term partnership.” As for i-4500 and ICACHE, “we’re impressed with its simplicity. It makes so much sense, freeing space for passengers and giving us greatly improved serviceability.”

Reeleder is interested in adding connectivity to the mix, and all the necessary provision is being made in the Thales systems. But he’s intent on avoiding excessive haste and expensive miscalculations. “We were a pioneer in satellite telephony, and now phone usage is at an all-time low – we don’t want to rush in and repeat that mistake.”

He sees a combination of onboard cellphone provision and broadband data connectivity as the way ahead. “We’re interested in Connexion by Boeing, though usage on the early Lufthansa services is not what was expected. And we’re talking to Inmarsat and service providers like Telenor, who won’t be in a position to offer true broadband for a year or two yet. All in all, I see no reason to rush in – we’ve learned that there’s no benefit in being among the first.”

In the meantime, he said, Air Canada was interested in the work being done by Verizon Airfone to offer broadband data services over North America. “That could be a low-risk way in for us - I’d love to be able to do an in-service trial of what they are developing from the middle of next year.”

http://www.shephard.co.uk/Inflight/default.aspx?Action=-1000945703&ID=48b6a1a0-5175-49ff-b679-eb951f8a0d9b

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