China Southern first to fly the most advanced Thales in-Flight entertainment and connectivity system
Seattle (USA), 24 February 2014 – Southern and Thales announce that at a ceremony held today at the Boeing facility in Seattle, the airline took delivery of the first Boeing 777-300ER aircraft equipped with the Thales TopSeries AVANT® in-flight entertainment and connectivity (IFEC) system, making China Southern the launch customer for the world's most advanced Thales passenger system.
China Southern is the largest airline in Asia by fleet size and the fifth largest airline in the world by number of passengers, and Thales, who already equips its IFEC systems on the airline's Airbus A330 aircraft, will install the award winning AVANT system on all 10 Boeing 777's scheduled to enter into service for the airline between 2014 and 2016. The first of these aircraft will fly from Seattle back to the airline's main hub in Guangzhou, Baiyun International airport where it is scheduled to enter into regular service on May 2nd, between ROUTE Guangzhou and Shanghai Hongqiao. It is believed that China Southern will use the 777-300ER to fly direct between Guangzhou and New York.
The 4th Generation TopSeries AVANT system is ideal for long-hual aircraft, it's based on the Android™ Operating System, Its unique design eliminates the electronics box under cabin seats therefore improving passenger comfort and enhancing weight efficiency. Traveller will benefit from the system's HD design capacitive touch screen, which reinforce the interactions. The unique touch PMU handset will allow the business class traveller to play the interactive game. System programs are offered in 5 languages, English, Simplified Chinese, French, Japanese, Korean. Beyond the convenience of on-demand entertainment, passengers have a wide selection of applications including interactive 3D Map, 12 Games, Flight Connect information, eBooks, eShopping, and Picture Viewer. Electronic surveys are onboard in support of passenger-airline relations.
Prior to the departure of the maiden flight of the first China Southern liveried 777 from Seattle, Mr Zhang Zifang, COO of China Southern, said "these aircraft form a crucial part of our international growth strategy and being the launch customers for the AVANT system is an important part of our offering and future passenger experience strategy"
Dominique Giannoni, Thales Vice President and CEO of the In-Flight Entertainment and Connectivity business line, added "The Chinese market is one of the most dynamic in the world, and we are delighted to experience the launch of our new system with China Southern. Their B777 represents a major milestone achievement for Thales and anticipate that passengers will really enjoy their inflight experience using new technology for years to come."
About China Southern
China Southern Airlines Company Limited (simplified Chinese: 中国南方航空公司; traditional Chinese: 中國南方航空公司) is an airline headquartered in Baiyun District, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China. It is the world's fifth-largest airline measured by passengers carried and Asia's largest airline in fleet size and passengers carried. It is the third-largest airline in the world in domestic passenger traffic. From its main hubs at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport and Beijing Capital International Airport, the airline flies to 193 destinations using a fleet of more than 560 aircraft. China Southern was the first Chinese airline to introduce the Boeing777. In 1997, China Southern completed the first Trans-pacific ETOPS flight in the world. In May 2013, China Southern successfully took delivery of and operated China's first 787 Dreamliner
About Thales
Thales is a global technology leader for the Aerospace, Transportation and Defence & Security markets. In 2012, the company generated revenues of €14.2 billion with 65,000 employees in 56 countries. With its 25,000 engineers and researchers, Thales has a unique capability to design, develop and deploy equipment, systems and services that meet the most complex security requirements. Thales has an exceptional international footprint, with operations around the world working with customers and local partners. www.thalesgroup.com