Everything you need to know about IFEC

In-flight entertainment refers to the entertainment on offer to passengers to consume during travel. The demand for better IFE has, for the past thirty-years-or-so, also been an influencing factor in the design of aircraft cabins.

In-flight entertainment systems originally consisted of little more than food and drink. As onboard and interior innovations advanced, however, in-flight movies were integrated, usually shown on a central screen at the top of aisles.

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More recently, IFE included the advent of embedded LCD display monitors in the back of seat headrests. But as data storage capacity improved, the media offerings aboard aeroplanes were also able to expand. With the introduction of this and newer ancillary hardware (like the move from pneumatic to electronic headphones), IFE expanded to include:

• Moving map displays
• Multiple movies
• Games
• And more recently, streaming

Which begs the questions - what, is classed as an in-flight entertainment systems? And why is connectivity so important to a comprehensive onboard offering?

The IFEC zone at Aircraft Interiors Expo is where you can find the latest products in onboard connectivity and entertainment. 

As the scope of onboard leisure activities has widened, the amount of software and hardware that supports these activities has increased. 

In-flight entertainment and connectivity now covers a range of products and services including:

• Broadband for use in passenger, cabin or crew operations
• Built-in displays for streaming entertainment
• Any ATG data services
• Onboard internet browsing, text messaging, and even cell phone usage
• Wireless streaming services

But there is also hardware that isn’t airlined-owned which still allows for in-flight connectivity. Namely, portable electronic devices (PEDs). The ubiquity of smartphones has allowed users to access both entertainment and connectivity from apps without the need for seatback screens. 

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Passengers can now access audio-video on demand (AVOD) from third-party or even airline-owned applications. Meanwhile, expectations are constantly raising the bar for what’s expected on even short haul or regional flights where aircraft aren’t fitted with in-built systems.

So, who are the companies providing these solutions to airlines?

77% of passengers have said that connectivity is important to them when travelling by aircraft, from economy to business and first class; and for short- and long-haul flights.

And as IFE and IFC have been condensed into one all-purpose offering, high-end connectivity has become just as important as in-flight entertainment and cabin management systems.

State-of-the-art IFEC systems offer both passengers and cabin crew the most advanced environment possible to provide seamless online access in the air.

Through onboard connectivity, passengers can now receive a much more personalised experience before their flight as well. They can select entertainment and get real-time info on their flight while still in transit. 

In the coming years it will be up to airlines’ discretion as to whether in-flight entertainment and connectivity will be included in the ticket price or will be available for purchase.

As such, there will be opportunities for airlines to have various IFEC offerings on the same aircraft separated by certain tiers. This is already fairly commonplace, for example, with 4K screens on rotatable arms in business and first class versus seatback screens in economy.

With the emergence of the trends mentioned above, these tiers and offerings may become even more diverse.

With this potential move towards a more software-based model for an IFEC system, it’s unsurprising that we’re seeing more airlines developing their own apps and interfaces. A full suite of movie licensing alone for a whole fleet can cost millions of dollars a year.

With airline-owned media, like Singapore Airline’s KrisWorld, the ability to offer credits and create customised reward systems is opened up. Embedded devices may still remain for the foreseeable future - but the question becomes, in what form? We could well see more retrofitting similar to Singapore Airlines with the development of their own IFE systems.

A recent case study from Inflight VR in conjunction with airline carrier SunExpress, did see take up rates of VR as high as 100% on a segment of flights with an onboard offering. They also recorded satisfaction approval ratings of between 75%-83% (based on value of money and ease-of-use, respectively).

That’s why IFEC providers such as Thales and Panasonic have started to leverage security insights and support from across their whole group. The former has even started offering it as a service/tool to airlines.

Safety for in-flight systems also refers to physical safety for both passengers and crew. As mentioned, the removal of unnecessary interaction during onboard buying; perhaps by making this process more efficient with the ability to send text/voice messages when connected to IFE, is paramount in a post-pandemic world.

This also allows for the implementation of a better-personalised, more responsive management system to attend to passengers’ needs.

With the further stripping back of amenities and IFE hardware aboard budget airlines, the move to AVOD on PEDs can still be at the forefront of positive customer experience. It should be noted, however, that even budget airlines are now improving their IFEC offerings.

So, with the future of airline cabin interiors and design destined to be tied to physical in-flight entertainment systems, where can you view the latest offerings?