Qatar Airways is upgrading its business class seat and IFE systems on select A330-200 and A320 aircraft, it has been announced.
The modifications will result in business seats that recline into a fully 180-degree lie-flat position.
The seats will also feature six-way adjustable headrests, four-way adjustable lumbar support, a variety of personal stowage compartments, privacy dividers, PC power, USB ports and connectivity for smart devices.
Business class on both aircrafts will feature 15.4-inch smart monitors and touch screen remote controller handsets, which also allow dual screen mode.
A statement from the airline said: "On A330 aircraft, the inflight entertainment system will be upgraded to the Panasonic eX2 platform, providing a richer entertainment experience with a greater amount of programming.
"The A330 aircraft will also be fitted with onboard connectivity, with the installation of the Panasonic Global Communications Suite. Both the A330 and A320 will also have the capability of sending and receiving SMS and MMS messages.
"On the A330 aircraft, economy class seating will also be upgraded to provide greater comfort and more personal space. The new seats will be fitted with new 10.6-inch monitors and handsets."
The Gulf carrier is carrying out the upgrades, which are due to complete by the third quarter of this year, on seven A330-200 and nine A320 jets.
The upgraded A320 aircraft will operate on Qatar's Vienna, Tunis, Milan, Rome, Geneva and Maldives routes while the A330s will fly to Barcelona, Osaka, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur and Phuket.
Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker said: "I firmly believe in providing our passengers with the best levels of service and the best available in-flight product."
The airline yesterday unveiled its A380 first cabin and announced that it will deploy its first superjumbo onto its London Heathrow route this summer (see news, March 5).
Graham Smith
