ICELANDAIR BECOMES FIRST TO FLY ASTROVA BY PANASONIC AVIONICS WITH A321NEO LAUNCH

Passengers travelling on the airline’s new A321NEO LRs will experience Panasonic Avionics’ most advanced in-flight entertainment (IFE) system alongside a host of other digital solutions from Panasonic Avionics.  

Astrova is set to create an immersive, cinematic experience for Icelandair’s passengers through 4K OLED HDR10+ displays with most accurate color reproduction, infinite contrast ratios and perfect blacks. The airline will offer 16-inch screens in Business Class and 13-inch in Economy.   

Passengers will also be able to experience high-fidelity sound with Spatial Audio on any wired headset or their own wireless headphones using Panasonic Avionics’ Bluetooth® technology*, and take advantage of 67W of USB-C power at each seat to fast-charge their laptop or any other personal devices.   

Astrova will also enhance Icelandair’s cabin environment and passenger experience with programmable LED lighting which can complement different phases of the flight such as meal services. 

Icelandair has also selected a range of Panasonic Avionics’ advanced digital solutions including Arc™, ZeroTouch™ and OneMedia. These are set to optimize performance and streamline operations with data-driven analytics.  

ArcTM will enrich the travel experience for Icelandair’s passengers by providing premium point of interest content in a 3D integrated moving map application. ZeroTouchTM will enable dynamic and agile content and file transfers to and from Icelandair’s aircraft, thus enabling more timely content on board. Additionally, OneMedia, will help the airline increase ancillary revenue by delivering intelligent advertisements to promote products and partnerships as part of the engaging entertainment experience. 

Ken Sain, Chief Executive Officer at Panasonic Avionics, said: “With 4K OLED displays, BluetoothÒ, Spatial Audio, and a modular design that delivers the scalability and flexibility needed to keep pace with consumer trends in today’s fast-changing market, Astrova represents the most advanced IFE solution Panasonic Avionics has ever developed. It is also our fastest adopted IFE solution with 70 airline program commitments in just two years since launch. We are excited that Icelandair has selected Panasonic Avionics’ Astrova for their new A321 NEO LR aircraft.” 

Hernan Abbes, Vice President of Global Sales at Panasonic Avionics, said: “We are thrilled to officially launch our award-winning Astrova IFE solution into the skies on Icelandair’s new A321neo LR fleet. Icelandair was particularly impressed with Astrova's advanced capabilities and modular architecture, recognizing it as the ideal solution to enhance their passenger experience.” 

Tómas Ingason, Chief Operating Officer, Icelandair, said: “We are excited to bring Panasonic Avionics' Astrova to our A321neo LR fleet. I look forward to offering this next generation entertainment system to our passengers, supporting our promise of a smooth and enjoyable travel experience.  

Astrova’s unique modular architecture enables future ‘on-wing’ upgrades of system computing power and memory for airlines to keep pace with fast-changing consumer electronic trends.  In addition, Astrova’s patented removable peripheral bar can be quickly hot swapped to enable new capabilities in Bluetooth connectivity and personal device charging standards.