US carrier Virgin America has announced plans to work with Lufthansa Systems to launch the next generation of its Red in-flight entertainment system, featuring both seatback content and wifi connectivity via personal devices.
Testing on the new system is now underway on one of the carrier’s Airbus A320 aircraft named #nerdbird, with a launch date scheduled for late 2012.
According to the carrier “the new Red platform will offer an entirely new approach to in-flight entertainment, with hybrid technology that will give travellers a variety of ways to play, interact, connect and be entertained at 35,000 feet – similar to the multi-faceted consumer technologies they have access to in their lives on the ground”.
The carrier added that it will offer both “a larger, high-definition touchscreen seatback monitor with full wifi connectivity and a breadth of curated content unrivalled in the skies, along with the ability for flyers to use their own personal electronic devices to connect to the system pre-flight, in-flight and post-flight”.
Exact details of the new platform have yet to be revealed, but the carrier says the system will offer “an unrivalled selection of dynamic media and a fully connected and social experience”.
Virgin America already offers wifi internet access across its fleet, and says it “regularly sees up to one-third of guests on flights logged on”. The current Red IFE system features choices including live satellite TV, on-demand movies, seat-to-seat chat, and interactive Google maps.
For more information visit virginamerica.com.
Report by Mark Caswell
