From the Shephard Group...

HAMBURG-based Lufthansa Technik’s corporate/VIP completions and cabin systems business was worth as much as Eur400 million last year.

Speaking at yesterday’s annual report press conference in Hamburg, Dr Peter Jansen, the company’s chief executive finance, said that completions of types like the Airbus A318 Elite and the Bombardier Challenger 850 Business Jet, along with the cabin systems output of LHT’s Innovation Centre, had contributed 10-12 per cent of last year’s Eur3.4 billion revenue figure.

Of the completion programmes now under way, the A318 Elite and Challenger 850 are keeping the Hamburg hangars busy. LHT has an exclusive contract for the Elite: it is currently working on the first aircraft and has firm orders for a further ten. The company is contracted to complete 17 CRJ200-based Challenger 850s and is working on six of them.

News from the cabin systems side includes a move to make Apple’s iTunes Music Store available aboard aircraft equipped with LHT’s iPod docking station, which was unveiled last year as part of a Bombardier Challenger 300 upgrade based on the NICE Ethernet cabin network.

¶ 8:05 AM 0 comments

EADS, parent company of turboprop manufacturer ATR, is claiming that they delivered the first cabin entertainment system for a turboprop regional aircraft... source

Kingfisher Airlines, India’s fastest growing airline, and ATR today announced the delivery of the world’s first turboprop aircraft facilitating In-flight entertainment system (IFE). The aircraft is the sixth ATR 72-500 delivered to Kingfisher Airlines. All the ATR aircraft delivered to the airline will be equipped with this system.

Now the Indian air traveler flying between smaller cities connected by Kingfisher Airlines’ ATR aircraft service can also enjoy unlimited in-flight entertainment. The new ATR aircraft being inducted into the fleet on 4th of January will have 17 LCD colour screens spread throughout the cabin. The TV screens operate on a drop down mechanism. No headphones or earphones are required since the audio comes through overhead speakers.

Very basic equipment - looks like 10.2-inch ceiling mount LCDs installed in the passenger service units. The source equipment does not include a Moving Map.

¶ 10:20 AM 0 comments

From Shephard Group's Inflight On-line...

Investment company Petters Group Worldwide (PGW) has become the first US customer to order an Airbus A318 Elite corporate jet. The contract brings Elite orders for the year to three aircraft, and the Airbus corporate jet tally to nine.

Minneapolis-based PGW plans to use the aircraft for flights to Asia and Europe as well as within the USA. "The Elite is a great size for our travel needs, giving us the most working space and the greatest cabin comfort of any corporate jet," says PGW chief executive Tom Petters. "Our company is a long-time user of corporate jets, and we are really looking forward to stepping up in comfort."

The A318, also known as the "Mini-Airbus" or "baby 'bus", is the smallest member of the A320 family. The Airbus A318 Elite is aimed at the medium-range market for flights of up to 4,000 nm range, with a choice of two cabin layouts seating up to 14 and 18 passengers, and will be powered by CFM engines. (Source: Wikipedia A320)

¶ 9:46 AM 0 comments