The Hindu : National : It’s Showtime on Air India’s domestic flights

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Apr 10, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

National

National

It’s Showtime on Air India’s domestic flights

Vinay Kumar

NEW DELHI: It is going to be “Showtime” for passengers on board Air India’s domestic flights. The public sector carrier is adding in-flight entertainment service in its latest Airbus family aircraft — 41 of the brand new aircraft scheduled to join its fleet.

Air India has entrusted Thales, the world leader in in-flight entertainment services, to install the best and latest in technology on its new aircraft at an estimated cost of Rs. 250 crore. All the new jetliners will be equipped with five video, one DVD and 12 audio channels, offering non-stop fun and entertainment to passengers.

Of the 43 new aircraft, ordered by the erstwhile Indian Airlines before its merger with Air India, the airline has got delivery of 12 Airbus family A-320s, A-319s and A-321s aircraft and the rest will be joining the fleet in a phased manner at regular intervals. Two new aircraft, delivered earlier, have not been equipped with Thales entertainment system.

The new in-flight entertainment system, named “Showtime,” will also have the “Moving Map,” providing information about the direction, location and other details of the flight on the personal screens to the passengers, Air India officials said here on Wednesday.

The five video channels will have sections like Hollywood, Comedy, Leisure, Music and Bollywood, while the audio channels will feature instrumental pop fusion, classical western, light music and ghazals, Hindustani maestro vocal and instrumental, carnatic vocal and instrumental music and Hindi film music. It will have audio music in regional languages from the North, South, West and Eastern parts of the country.

With its competitors like Kingfisher and Jet Airways already having in-flight entertainment systems on their new aircraft on domestic sectors, Air India has just added a little bit of zing and thrill to the domestic air travel. The carrier has already put new Airbus family aircraft, equipped with in-flight entertainment system from Thales, on all its flights on the Delhi-Mumbai sector which provides two different sets of movies and audio channels on its daily services.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National