Thales’ FlytEDGE Digitally Remasters the inflight Entertainment Experience

Thales unveils FlytEDGE, a revolutionary connected cloud-based inflight entertainment system that will transform passenger engagement to the extraordinary. FlytEDGE is not like a traditional IFE system — with a sleek architecture, cutting-edge features, and unparalleled performance it enables airlines to stand out by bringing the ‘cool’ factor to each seat, offering fully-tailored passenger interactions:

• Live personalization for a journey filled with unique experiences
• Instantly stream favorites and never miss a beat, continue watching on all flights
• Immense volume of content to immerse passengers in a world of entertainment choices

Creating personalized experiences

Personalization is at the heart of FlytEDGE. Every passenger is one-of-a-kind and the system empowers airlines to recommend experiences tailored to each person’s preferences. FlytEDGE is a true engagement platform offering boundless opportunities for connected and custom journeys. FlytEDGE delivers ‘just-for-you’ experiences never seen before. The system intelligently recommends content across domains, with an individually tailored and immersive entertainment experience.

Delivering the future of entertainment to each passenger

FlytEDGE is the IFEC industry’s first solution to feature edge caching. Passengers can now instantly stream their favorite entertainment using their personal video subscriptions and continue watching their favorite shows from the ground to the air and across flights.

Leveraging a state-of-the-art connected cloud architecture, the system breaks through barriers providing airlines with unparalleled flexibility to rapidly bring in any web-based service.

• Top game providers for interactive options that will captivate from take-off to touch down
• Video streamers that go beyond the blockbuster to bring infinite bingeable choices to passengers

With FlytEDGE airlines can integrate partners at the speed of consumer technology to create exhilarating experiences at the forefront of inflight entertainment.

Thales’ FlytEDGE solution features the best consumer technologies on the market. The system boasts cinematic 4K QLED HDR seatback displays to immerse passengers with over 1 billon vibrant colors and two Bluetooth® connections so passengers can pair their personal wireless devices. The system broadcasts the same user interface onboard for all devices- phones, tablets and seatback screens. With Thales’ Crystal Cabin® award-winning power solution delivering high-speed charging at each seat to any passenger device, everyone arrives at their destination recharged, entertained, and relaxed.

Value for airline customers

FlytEDGE features the Crystal Cabin® award-winning Onboard Data Center (ODC) with 96TB of storage to enable on-board edge caching, this solution reduces connectivity consumption and ensures bandwidth is available for other inflight services. No matter how many people watch the same content, each title streams once to the aircraft allowing passengers to instantly access endless entertainment.

The ODC takes the IFE system performance to new heights.

• Replaces the traditional multi-server network with an effective and compact blade architecture
• Simplifies upgradeability path with easy blade swaps
• Ensures the highest system availability

FlytEDGE goes beyond the hardware by redefining software and content updates to reduce cost and lead-time.

• Exceptional Efficiency – Remote operations with virtual labs for anywhere, anytime updates
• Superior Performance – Real-time system monitoring and automated maintenance tasks
• Scalable and Evolving – Continuous integration of new services for a system that is always growing at the speed of consumer technologies

FlytEDGE is already flying! We’re just at the beginning of what’s possible with a fully connected cloud platform. FlytEDGE’s game-changing features and intuitive functionality sets it light-years ahead of the competition. Bringing Thales’ FlytEDGE technology to the airline industry means an in-flight experience that is as eagerly awaited as the destination itself, and there’s so much more to look forward to. It is time to embrace the EDGE.

“At Thales we’re always at the forefront of innovation, investing in digital technologies, and working with our partners to redefine the inflight experience. We’re delighted to bring FlytEDGE’s state-of-the-art capabilities to our airline customers to create memorable and fully-tailored passenger interactions.” said Yannick Assouad, Executive Vice-President Avionics, Thales. “FlytEDGE is the first connected cloud-based IFE to introduce ground-breaking new experiences with a true engagement platform offering boundless opportunities for unique journeys. Stay tuned for more exciting news as the system is set to premier on a leading global airline.”