Emirates Crash Landing & KLM’s A330 Cabin Retrofit: APEX Daily Experience Week in Review
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Here are the most-read stories from this week’s APEX Daily Experience newsletters. To receive breaking passenger experience industry news in your inbox on a daily basis, subscribe here.
Emirates Crash Landing at Dubai International
THE GUARDIAN | AUGUST 3, 2016
Operations at Dubai International Airport have been suspended after an Emirates Boeing 777-300 traveling from Thiruvananthapuram, India, crash-landed earlier today at 12:45 p.m. local time, marking the airline’s worst incident in its 30-year history. All 282 passengers and 18 crewmembers were evacuated safely before the aircraft burst into flames, but a firefighter who was on the scene has been confirmed dead. Authorities have not released any details on the cause of the crash although reports suggest the aircraft’s landing gear was not fully extended during landing.
Booked in 60 Seconds: Virgin America Unveils an App “Worthy” of Its Passengers
CONDÉ NAST TRAVELER | AUGUST 1, 2016
Virgin America has unveiled a new mobile app for iOS and Android, which will allow passengers to book flights in less than a minute, check in electronically and listen to destination-themed Spotify playlists. While the app’s official release occurs later this summer, users can register to test a beta version. “We’ve always been different from other airlines, and we created an app that’s worthy of our guests,” says Luanne Calvert, Virgin America’s VP and CMO. Work & Co, the app’s developer and designer, says the aim was to create a minimal interface that retains a sense of warmth, joy and celebration.
Rio Olympic Games 2016: Panasonic and IMG Team Up For Live In-Flight Broadcast
APEX MEDIA | AUGUST 5, 2016
Sports fans scheduled to fly during the 2016 Summer Olympic Games will still be able to catch their favorite events thanks to an exclusive partnership between Panasonic Avionics and IMG Media. The winning team will live-broadcast over 200 hours of the event on their eXTV Sports 24 and Sports 24 Extra in-flight channels. While the agreement does not include US routes, 11 airlines, including Emirates, Lufthansa and Turkish Airlines, will broadcast the event on over 350 aircraft flying internationally. “The Olympics should have just absolutely outstanding viewership on board the aircraft. It appeals to almost everybody in the world,” says David Bruner, vice-president of Global Communications Services for Panasonic Avionics.
KLM to Retrofit A330 Fleet With Redesigned Business-Class Cabin
BUSINESS TRAVELLER | AUGUST 2, 2016
KLM has confirmed it will retrofit its fleet of Airbus A330s with its new World Business Class cabin interior. The cabin refit is expected to be completed by 2018 and will feature lie-flat seats, 16-inch in-flight entertainment seatback displays and plenty of storage for personal items. The Dutch flag carrier’s World Business Class interior, developed by Dutch designer Hella Jongerius, is already available on the airline’s Boeing 747s and 777-200s.
United Partners With iPass to Offer Seamless Airport-to-Aircraft Wi-Fi Service
INFLIGHT ONLINE| AUGUST 4, 2016
United Airlines has announced a partnership with iPass to provide customers of the cloud-based services company with access to its in-flight Wi-Fi across its fleet of more than 700 connected aircraft. United says the rollout is scheduled to begin near the end of 2016 and will give iPass users what it calls “a secure, frictionless Wi-Fi experience as they move from the airport terminal to United Airlines aircraft and beyond, utilizing a single service.” Commenting on the partnership, Scott Wilson, United’s VP merchandising and eCommerce, says, “Working with iPass enables us to further deliver on that promise for our customers, who will benefit from faster log-ins and greater ease of connection.”
Fast Enough: Gogo Says 2Ku’s 100 Mbps Hits the Bandwidth Sweet Spot
SPACE NEWS | AUGIST 5, 2016
Gogo says early results from its 2Ku satellite broadband indicate it is outperforming expectations and would be an investment for airlines that would pay for itself within two or three years of being installed on an aircraft. Michael Small, Gogo’s CEO, says 2Ku’s ability to deliver more than 100 Mbps to a commercial aircraft by 2017 “has taken the [bandwidth] issue off the table,” and that higher throughput will not be a key factor for airlines’ connectivity decisions.
