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Sky-high entertainment

In the coming years, airlines will increasingly be distinguished by their in-flight entertainment (IFE) offerings. One thing, however, is certain: the entertainment and communications facilities on offer will increasingly converge with those available at home or in the office.
The future trends in IFE will vary widely from one airline to another, with most of the development taking place on short to medium routes. “For reasons of costs some airlines in the USA are likely to expand their overhead entertainment on medium distance routes,” reports Dr. Gerko Wende of the Innovation department at Lufthansa Technik. “On the other hand, Ryanair for example, is already offering mobile telephony on short and medium-haul flights.” He believes there will be little change in basic IFE functionalities on long-haul flights, but with the difference that Internet connections and high definition video will also have a part to play.

Of course there is room for improvement in the IFE on offer. Gigabit Ethernet technology will greatly increase the data transfer capabilities of cabled IFE/CMS networks. “1000BASE-T standard networks using copper cables are already installed and available on medium- and long-haul planes. But airlines are increasingly turning to 1000BASE-SX/LX standard fiber optic networks,” adds Gerko Wende. Future aircraft will also feature wireless WLAN networks that meet the IEEE-802.11n standard that permits data transfer rates of up to 300 Mb per second. This not only entails an improvement in the speed of data transfer, but in the quality. “This standard also uses the 5 GHz range, but it is not yet approved for aviation. However, the FAA and EASA are expected to give their approval this year,” says Gerko Wende.

The 5GHz band has a shorter range than the more commonly used 2.4 GHz band due to the air damping effect, which is a disadvantage on the ground but does not present a problem within the relative confines of an aircraft cabin. Data exchange inside the cabin should function optimally with these technologies, but first of all the data has to reach the aircraft and then return to the ground, and that costs money.

Patrick Brannelly, President of the World Airline Entertainment Association (WAEA) sums up the problem: “With hotel guests able to use WLANs free of charge and flat rate usage costing very little at ground level, the question is, how much are passengers willing to pay for an onboard service?” No airline can afford to ignore the issue of customer satisfaction – the only successful way to fill seats. Passengers are accustomed to using the Internet and cell phones on a daily basis at minimal cost, and of course they want to do the same on board without having to pay a hefty extra charge. Dave Vernon, Director of Airline Marketing at Rockwell Collins, suspects that passengers flying premium class increasingly expect airlines to offer IFE that interfaces with their own devices.

But the impact of this ground-air convergence will not be equal across the board. For example, Lufthansa Technik will be introducing HD video in the foreseeable future. But for Patrick Brannelly, on-board HD is not an issue: “Given the small screen size, the difference between conventional video and HD is not so noticeable. And anyway, the transition from analogue films to digital media files has already brought a huge improvement in quality.”

For about two years now the ground-based Aircell system has been available in the skies over North America. From the middle of this year Lufthansa will again offer the satellite-based FlyNet service, this time with Panasonic as its partner. Lufthansa has long preferred satellite systems but unfortunately Connexion from Boeing ceased operation in 2007. At that time the necessary technology was installed in almost 70 aircraft with around 30,000 passengers using the service each month.

To expand the range of IFE offerings, Rockwell Collins recently demonstrated the prototype of a 3D interactive moving map. Among other options, the Airshow Interactive 3D allows passengers to choose between multiple map views and flight status information displays.

IFE system costs are hard to justify on medium-distance routes, and the range of offerings is correspondingly limited on medium-haul aircraft in Europe. But this is set to change in future. “As about 70 percent of passengers carry a laptop, there is no additional weight involved, passengers already know how to use the equipment so the crew don‘t need to explain it. All that is missing is the server,” says Mark Janssen of Inflight TV International. On-board equipment is expected to have a service life of about ten years, so no airline can compete with the consumer electronics passengers are carrying themselves. “Servers don‘t have this problem, they can last for 10 years,” Mark Janssen concludes. The new dedicated server can serve 250 passengers at once. An LCD display complete with cables built into the seat is heavy and expensive, and the nine-inch screen provides only a tiny picture. By contrast, current laptops with typically 15 to 17 inch screens generally offer a better image quality.

IFE will become more important
If passengers are to make the most of their electronic accessories via WLAN, a command of the principles of data transfer is required. If large numbers of users in a WLAN try to access the server at the same time, they can block one another. The trick is only to transmit as much data as necessary, which prevents data logjams. Smooth streaming is the name of the game. The new server identifies the bitrates at which passengers‘ laptops can digest data and transmits only what is required.

Patrick Brannelly’s vision for years to come is clear: “There will be an increasing convergence between air and ground, allowing passengers to use their devices to the full in both environments.” The task of the airlines is to guarantee the data infrastructure, the passengers will take care of the rapidly changing electronic periphery. “Improvements in data processing, the use of networks and more efficient data storage will permit progressively smaller on-board systems that are lighter and consume less power,” adds Dave Vernon. He believes that IFE will become steadily more important for the airlines as part of their marketing and branding strategies.
- Barbara Stumpp -

German  Summary
Mit ihrem In-fllight Entertainment-(IFE)-Angebot werden sich die Airlines in den kommenden Jahren zunehmend differenzieren. Fest steht jedoch: Die Unter-haltungs- und Kommunikationsmöglichkeiten werden sich den normalen Gegebenheiten in Büro und privatem Umfeld annähern. Der deutschsprachige Beitrag ist nachzulesen auf www.aerotec-online.com

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