September 23, 2005 - ROCKWELL Collins has contracted with Showtime Arabia for the provision of live Western and Middle Eastern TV channels to be shown via the Rockwell Collins Tailwind 560 satellite television system being fitted in the Qatar Airways fleet.

Qatar is the launch customer for Tailwind 560 and plans to introduce the service before the end of the year on its new Airbus A330 and A340 fleet. The aircraft operate within the Middle East and on long-haul routes to Europe, Asia and South Africa from the airline’s operational hub at Doha, capital of Qatar.

The system will allow passengers travelling in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa to watch a variety of TV channels live on the ground and at in the air. Channels secured by Showtime will include CNN, Al Jazeera, BBC World, Bloomberg, Sky News, EuroNews, MTV, VH1, CNBC Arabiya, MBC, LBC International, Rotana Music and TV 5.

Passengers will be able to select from a choice of live news, sport, children’s subjects, music, general entertainment and financial information. The system’s multi-directional antenna will support uninterrupted service as flights pass from Middle Eastern to European airspace.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------