A Low-Cost IFE Solution for Low-Cost Carriers
Share
Low-cost carriers no longer have to compromise on passenger experience by showing one movie en masse from overhead monitors or passing on in-flight entertainment all together.
While three-quarters of single-aisle aircraft on short- and medium- haul routes previously could not consider having seatback screens due to cost and weight, Jon Norris, vice-president sales at Lumexis, says they now can – with the bonus of a wireless, lightweight, cost-effective solution.
Lumexis launched their latest IFE product, iPAX„¢, at the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg this month. Norris says the common solution for single-aisle airlines is to provide connectivity for passengers’ personal electronic devices (PEDs), but Lumexis is offering a fixed-screen solution in this category. With the added option for a credit card reader, the seatback can also generate revenue through third-party advertising and ancillaries, a benefit that Norris says “isn’t matched at all by wireless-to-PED.”
“The Lumexis team has established yet another benchmark in commercial aviation with this unique revenue-generating tool,” said Lou Sharkey, president and COO. “Fully-installed, it costs less than a conventional monitor system and weighs half as much, so the revenue it generates drops directly to the bottom line.”
But while Lumexis has skimmed on weight for their iPAX„¢ product (at 8.9 ounces per seat), they haven’t skimped on quality. The 6.1-inch monitor displays a 1080p HD picture with a wide variety of movies to choose from, moving-map option, safety video, food and beverage and catalog shopping – providing low-cost carriers with an IFE system that gives their cost-conscious passengers choice.
iPAX„¢ follows the launch of WiPAX in 2012, a stand-alone connectivity solution for PEDs on narrow-body aircraft. In 2010, the California-based IFE company was the winner of a Crystal Cabin Award for its Fiber-to-the-Screen (FTTS) technology which is currently installed on flydubai and Turkish Airlines aircraft, among others.