Thales to supply IFE for new LAN premium business class

December 29, 2005 - A BIG year for Thales Avionics ends on yet another high note with the news that the company is supplying the IFE for LAN Airlines’ new premium business class.

Thales’ TopSeries AVOD system will use 15.4in individual monitors to give passengers a choice of eight films, 20 shorts, 100 music CDs and 14 video games. The South American carrier has also contracted for 180-degree-recline seats from French-based SICMA. Total value of the contracts is put at more than $100 million.

To be introduced in March on LAN Airlines’ Boeing 767-300s, the new class is seen as a blend of the best features of the carrier’s current first and business-class services, with the emphasis on giving passengers the ability to sleep comfortably in flight. The lie-flat seats will be complemented by down comforters and soft pillows, and dividing panels between seats for maximum privacy. Seat pitch will be increased by 32 per cent over the present business-class figure to 74 inches.

Noise-cancelling headsets will be made available and the cabin modified to offer extra space and improved lighting.

Economy class is also being upgraded, with larger individual video monitors in each seatback, more space for personal carry-on items at each seat, and new dishes, carpeting and other items such as pillows and blankets.

The LAN alliance offers non-stop and direct flights from North America to Argentina, Chile, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela from 29 North American cities, including daily flights from Miami, New York and Los Angeles.