Soaring High: Emirates Unveils Its Inaugural A350-900 Featuring Thales’ AVANT Up IFE System
In collaboration, Thales and Emirates commemorate the introduction of the Airline’s inaugural A350-900 aircraft with a journey from Dubai to Edinburgh (Scotland) on January 3, 2025. The aircraft comes outfitted with Thales’s cutting-edge AVANT Up inflight entertainment platform. Initiating a new chapter in inflight entertainment, Emirates has rolled out on the A350 the innovative version of the ‘ice’ IFE system, featuring a suite of pioneering advancements enabled by Thales innovations designed to enrich the onboard experience. This system boasts over 30 fresh functionalities, with numerous additional features anticipated in the coming months.
Thales’ 4K QLED HDR displays deliver a cinematic encounter, offering the finest picture clarity in the skies and ultra-responsive touchscreens for effortless navigation through ‘ice’ extensive catalog of entertainment. The display includes two Bluetooth connections, allowing passengers to link multiple devices and integrated Wi-Fi. This system is equipped with Thales’ prize-winning power management solution that accommodates up to 60W of in-screen charging capability, guaranteeing that passengers arrive at their destination fully powered.
Distinct passenger experiences at every seat
AVANT Up presents an extensive array of digital services and applications, enabling Emirates to uniquely customize and continuously improve services onboard, crafting a personalized journey for each traveler. Passengers will have the ability to log in at their seat, save their preferences, and continue watching their favorite shows. The IFE system will also curate suggestions based on viewing history, provide tailored connecting gate information, and much more.
Pioneering features on Emirates A350
Travelers aboard the new A350 aircraft will relish industry-first event-based live TV with “happening now” content, including sports updates, news, and special occasions. The system also boasts a unique Digital Video Recording feature that redefines in-flight entertainment. Beyond live television, passengers can indulge in iceMoments, a novel approach to enjoying content in brief video formats. Utilizing Emirates’ ‘ice’ user interface, travelers can explore a smart search engine, a navigation toolbar with play controls and settings, and a distinctive pictorial user interface (UI) for children.
Inclusive travel for everyone
In partnership, Emirates and Thales unveil an award-winning UI for passengers with vision assistance requirements. The UI supports audio-navigation assistance, voice metadata feedback, touch, and swipe gesture controls, as well as a broad selection of audio-descriptive content to foster a more inclusive and accessible travel experience for all.
“Thales is privileged to celebrate alongside Emirates the airline’s maiden A350 taking to the skies. We are thrilled for Emirates passengers to experience the next-generation of in-flight entertainment on ice, powered by AVANT Up,” stated Niels Steenstrup, Chief Executive Officer, Thales InFlyt Experience. “We are proud to collaborate with Emirates in their pursuit to enhance air travel. Together, we are advancing the future of IFE to consistently raise the standard of the inflight experience.”
