IFE Visionaries Redefine the Cabin Experience: APEX Board Candidates Drive Screen Innovation Forward
Share
As travelers grow to expect the same digital experience in the sky as they do on the ground, inflight entertainment screens are now at the center of the cabin experience. These systems have evolved from basic seatback screens to intelligent, connected platforms that blend entertainment, personalization, and connectivity. This shift has transformed how passengers experience content and how airlines express their brand. For the Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX), that evolution marks a key moment in how the industry represents innovation and collaboration.
The proposed addition of an APEX Board seat dedicated to major inflight entertainment screen manufacturers highlights how essential display technology has become to the overall passenger journey. As airlines integrate entertainment, personalization, and connectivity into one seamless experience, APEX members will decide which of these candidates will help guide that next phase of progress. This story profiles the three nominees: Ben Asmar of Safran, Andy Masson of Panasonic Avionics Corporation, and Kurt Weidemeyer of Thales. Each brings a unique perspective shaped by years of leadership, creativity, and innovation that continue to define the future of inflight entertainment.
Andy Masson, Panasonic Avionics Corporation
Panasonic Avionics Corporation has become a driving force in the evolution of inflight entertainment, combining decades of aerospace expertise with deep roots in audio and visual technology. Since joining the company in 2021, Andy Masson, Vice President of Product Management and Portfolio Strategy, has helped transform the seatback screen from a passive display into a connected, interactive, and sustainable experience.
“Panasonic Avionics has always believed that the passenger experience sits at the center of aviation innovation,” Masson said. “Our mission is to deliver technology that feels human, responsive, and intuitive, designed around how people actually travel.”
At Panasonic, Masson led the development of Astrova, the company’s most successful inflight entertainment system to date. The platform features advanced OLED displays, Bluetooth audio, and high-power USB-C, complemented by a modern industrial design. More importantly, it was built for the future: lightweight, energy-efficient, and modular, allowing airlines to upgrade components without replacing entire systems. “The industry must innovate responsibly,” Masson explained. “With Astrova, we designed a system that performs at the highest level while reducing waste and long-term costs.”
For Masson, joining the APEX Board represents an opportunity to connect technical innovation with the broader passenger experience community. “We are entering a new world of on-demand and streamed media powered by ultra-fast satellite networks,” he said. “Through APEX, we can align the interests of airlines, technology providers, and content creators so that everyone, from passengers to studios, benefits.”
Before joining Panasonic, Masson built a career that connected entertainment and aerospace. He began as a live sound engineer and later founded Audiosys, a professional audio-visual company serving large-scale events and recording artists. He then moved into aerospace, leading cabin engineering and modification programs at Boeing’s Continental Data Graphics, before becoming CEO of Adient Aerospace, Boeing’s joint venture focused on aircraft seating. Each position reinforced his belief that technology and comfort work hand in hand to define the passenger experience.
Looking ahead, Masson hopes to utilize his APEX role to help the industry continue to lead in entertainment and connectivity. “Aerospace has always set the standard, from pioneering on-demand video to bringing satellite connectivity to passengers,” he said. “Now, as we move into the next era of inflight media, our challenge is to deliver smarter, more flexible systems that make every journey personal, sustainable, and inspiring.”
Ben Asmar, Safran
Safran has become a leading voice in redefining how passengers experience inflight entertainment, combining creative design with advanced engineering to make air travel more immersive and personal. At the center of that effort is Ben Asmar, Vice President of Product and Innovation, whose 17-year career in aviation has been devoted to blending technology, empathy, and design to elevate the passenger journey.
“As connectivity becomes faster, more accessible, and in many cases free to passengers, it opens new opportunities for suppliers like Safran,” Asmar said. “It allows us to make IFE systems more engaging and connected, enabling real-time personalization and linking inflight entertainment with ground-based content. Instead of being limited to monthly updates, airlines can now refresh shows, push news, or stream live sports every day.”
Asmar has overseen major advances in seatback display technology, enabling Safran to deliver systems that provide passengers with a more cinematic experience. “Seatback screens have come a long way,” he explained. “Today, we’re offering 4K displays, even in economy. When you’re sitting close to a 13-inch screen with Bluetooth audio and noise cancellation, you see and hear content the way the director intended. It’s like having a movie theater in the sky.”
To Asmar, serving on the APEX Board offers an opportunity to guide the industry through rapid technological change. “Technology moves faster than ever, and aviation needs to keep up,” he said. “If APEX can help remove barriers that slow innovation, we can bring new systems to passengers much sooner. Safety always comes first, but progress shouldn’t take ten years.”
Personalization remains a core focus for Asmar and his team. “We’re working with airlines to create experiences that continue across journeys,” he said. “A passenger might start a movie on one flight and pick it up on the next. The next step is ensuring that personalized experience can follow travelers across partner airlines so their preferences move with them.”
Asmar believes APEX is key to uniting airlines, suppliers, and partners around shared standards that enable scalable innovation. “Airlines and suppliers can’t do this alone,” he said. “Progress happens when both sides collaborate to make technology feel human and meaningful. Through APEX, we can move faster, stay connected, and keep the passenger experience at the heart of aviation’s next chapter.”
Kurt Weidemeyer, Thales
Thales has emerged as one of the driving forces shaping the digital future of inflight entertainment, combining decades of aerospace expertise with a forward-looking approach to connected travel. Leading that effort is Kurt Weidemeyer, Vice President of Product Management, who oversees Thales’ global strategy for inflight entertainment, connectivity, and digital solutions. With more than 20 years of experience at Honeywell, Inmarsat, and now Thales, Weidemeyer has focused his career on merging technology, creativity, and reliability to create seamless passenger experiences.
“For years, inflight screens were simply a place to watch a movie,” Weidemeyer said. “Now, with advances in software, hardware, and connectivity, we can help airlines deliver a fully curated experience. Passengers can log in, pick up a film they started on a previous flight, or access recommendations tailored just for them. Anything you can do on the ground, you should now be able to do in the air.”
Under his leadership, Thales introduced FlytEDGE, the industry’s first fully cloud-native inflight entertainment system. “FlytEDGE is a platform in the sky,” Weidemeyer explained. “It gives airlines full control over their digital environment. They can update content, refresh the user interface, and make changes instantly, even while the aircraft is in flight. We built it so our customers can move faster and operate with full autonomy.”
Weidemeyer’s candidacy for the APEX Board of Directors reflects his goal of strengthening collaboration across the passenger experience community. “I’ve been involved with APEX for more than ten years, both as a member and a panelist,” he said. “What makes APEX powerful is how it brings everyone together, from airlines and suppliers to content partners, to make meaningful progress. It is the only forum where the entire industry can work collectively to advance technology and improve the passenger experience.”
One initiative especially important to Weidemeyer is APEX STREAM, which aims to standardize digital rights management for airline media. “We recently launched edge caching for streaming services like Netflix, Prime Video, and Disney+, the first in the industry,” he said. “That technology is exciting, but the next challenge is the legal side. Through APEX, we can bring airlines, content owners, and technology providers together to define how rights are managed so passengers can access the content they love safely and seamlessly.”
Weidemeyer believes that APEX is essential to helping aviation keep pace with rapid technological change. “The fastest progress happens when we move forward as a community,” he said. “Every airline is different, but we share common goals like improving satisfaction, driving efficiency, and creating new value. Through APEX, we can set the right framework, bring innovation to passengers faster, and deliver lasting benefits for airlines and travelers.”
Elevating Entertainment into Experience
While the three nominees represent different companies and perspectives, Kurt Weidemeyer of Thales, Andy Masson of Panasonic Avionics, and Ben Asmar of Safran share a common goal of redefining inflight entertainment as a complete passenger experience rather than just a platform for content.
For each candidate, innovation means more than sharper displays or faster systems. It is about turning the screen into a central part of the journey, one that connects travelers to the airline’s story, adapts to personal preferences, and blends design, technology, and connectivity into a seamless experience.
Their shared commitment to collaboration, standardization, and creativity reflects APEX’s mission to keep raising the bar for the passenger experience through real, measurable innovation. The addition of a dedicated inflight entertainment seat on the 2025–2026 APEX Board highlights the industry’s recognition that screens are now vital to both passenger engagement and airline identity.
Together, Weidemeyer, Masson, and Asmar represent the growing influence of the inflight entertainment community within APEX and across aviation. Each brings a distinct viewpoint shaped by experience and expertise, yet all share the same vision: to make every journey more connected, intuitive, and memorable.
A Vision for the Future
As APEX members prepare to vote, the new inflight entertainment screen manufacturer seat stands as a marker of the industry’s progress and its potential.
“The inflight screen connects every part of the passenger journey, from entertainment and comfort to discovery and engagement,” said APEX/IFSA CEO Dr. Joe Leader. “The leaders from Thales, Panasonic Avionics, and Safran demonstrate how creativity and innovation continue to shape our industry. Their vision reflects the spirit of APEX, bringing technology and people together to make every flight more personal, inspiring, and connected.”