Airline IFE developments 2011

The impact of the revolution in personal electronics is challenging the world of airline IFE as Qantas begins iPad trials for Wi-Fi movie streaming.

As recently as 20th June 2011 a new report was suggesting that electronic interference may have played a role in at least 75 separate incidents where the crew believed personal electronic devices directly affected flight controls and navigation.

There remains a debate over the effects of mobile devices on aircraft systems. The public wants proof that aircraft systems can be adversely affected by the use of a PED, airlines require that such items be turned off during the two most critical phases of flight – takeoff and landing.

IATA has conducted a study which suggests that electronic devices used in flight may have played a part in affecting the control and navigation of dozens of flights over the last 6 years. IATA surveyed 125 airlines and documented 75 incidents where the flight crew believed that personal electronics had affected flight systems. Pilots report a correction of flight system anomalies once a personal device was identified and turned off. In some cases, passengers were using laptop computers; in others they were using mobile phones.

Experts believe older aircraft may be more vulnerable. Many planes flying today are older than the technology running the electronic devices that many passengers carry with them. Newer aircraft have better electronic shielding, especially in areas that surround the passenger cabin. Airlines that offer in-flight wi-fi, satellite television and the use of mobile phones during flight typically operate aircraft that feature the proper electronic shielding against interference. Many of these signals are funneled through a protected gateway antenna that isolates the signals.

Apple’s iPad for in-flight entertainment

Qantas will begin trials of Apple’s iPad for in-flight entertainment this month, using wi-fi to stream content to the tablets from a central server on the aircraft.

The six-week trial will run from the end of October to early December, although it will be limited to a single Boeing 767-300.

The aircraft used for the trial will be scheduled across a variety of routes, from Sydney-Melbourne to transcontinental coast-to-coast services.

Passengers will find an iPad 2 sitting in their seat-back pocket, while those in business class will also get a flexible stand which can be used on the fold-down meal tray. The plane will carry one tablet for each of the aircraft’s 254 seats, with several spares on hand.

The iPads will be "locked down", bypassing Apple's normal home screen and booting straight into the Q Streaming app. It won't have any capability off the aircraft.

Aircraft IFE streaming Apps.

In due course, passengers will be able to view the streaming content on their own iPad by making the Q Streaming app available as a free download from the iTunes App Store. Q Streaming will even eventually allows passengers with their own tablet to download video to watch within a 24 hour period of leaving the aircraft if the programme was cut short by the plane landing.

The system also has the capability to work with Android tablets, notebooks and even smartphones, although the trial is an iPad-only program.

The airline will then be looking at installing seats with in-built iPad brackets.