New Canadian Airline OWG to Offer Bluebox Wow Wireless IFE

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Bluebox Wow
Image via Bluebox Aviation Systems

New Canadian airline OWG, set to begin operations in November, aims to get travelers excited again with its wireless IFE offering.

Bluebox Aviation Systems announced today that new Canadian airline OWG’s fleet will be equipped with the in-flight entertainment (IFE) provider’s wireless solution, Bluebox Wow. Passengers will be able to access content including movies, TV shows and a moving map via a browser on their personal device, meaning they won’t have to download an app, but the content is still digital rights management (DRM)-protected.

“Every new deployment is positive for us but this one is particularly special given the state of our industry this year – being part of a new airline intent on providing passengers an exceptional experience on board as they head off to much-anticipated holidays in the sun is very exciting,” said Kevin Clark, CEO of Bluebox.

OWG, a subsidiary of Quebec charter airline Nolinor Aviation, is scheduled to begin operating its fleet of Boeing 737-400 aircraft between Canada (Montreal and Toronto) and Cuba in November.

“This [deployment] is particularly special given the state of our industry this year,” – Kevin Clark, Bluebox CEO

“In the current climate, so much focus is rightly on passenger safety on board,” said Marco Prud’Homme, president of OWG and Nolinor Aviation. “But when we announced OWG, I said our goal is to get travellers excited again. With Bluebox Wow offering movies and other entertainment, passengers can look forward to their time on board being a relaxing and enjoyable experience.”

Bluebox Wow weights about 4.5 pounds and is the size of a lunchbox, making it easy to store on board. It can accommodate up to 1 terabyte of content including video, audio, newspapers, magazines, e-books, games, moving maps and destination guides. The content update process is conducted via Wi-Fi.

Ancillary revenue generation is possible via Bluebox Wow, with a PCI-compliant payment system. Opportunities include paid access to content, advertising, sponsorship, and on-board retail. Bluebox also offers comprehensive data reporting.

Wow has enjoyed a host of contracts with different types of carriers in recent months and years. In 2018, domestic Indian Airline Vistara announced plans to introduce the solution, In March 2019, fellow Canadian airline Air Transat decided to deploy Bluebox Wow across its mixed fleet, and was soon followed by flag carrier Royal Jordanian.