Gulf Air, the national carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain, today announced, at the Farnborough International Airshow 2016, the selection of Thales AVANT In-Flight Entertainment (IFE) system for the airline’s 39 new aircraft orders of B787-900, A320 NEO and A321 NEO. The first B787-900 and A320 NEO deliveries are scheduled for 2018 and the A321 NEO delivery will start in 2020.
Mr. Maher Salman Al Musallam, Gulf Air Chief Executive Officer, said: “We are delighted to introduce an enhanced product and service offering onboard Gulf Air‘s newest aircraft – further appealing to passengers across the globe. We are committed to ongoing investment in the Gulf Air offering, to elevate our passenger experience. With Thales AVANT IFE system passengers now have greater entertainment options onboard, ensuring their comfort.”
Dominique Giannoni, CEO, Thales InFlyt Experience said: “Thales is very proud to have been selected by Gulf Air, a longstanding Middle East airline. We are honoured to support Bahrain’s national carrier in their goal of excellence in passenger experience. This selection represents a major win for Thales in the region, reinforcing our presence within the Kingdom of Bahrain.”
Thales is committed to providing a premium passenger experience on Gulf Air’s new fleet with the AVANT state-of-the-art Android-based IFE solution, offering a highly customisable passenger experience with a wide selection of features and applications.
Gulf Air recently announced restructured aircraft orders in January this year at the Bahrain International Airshow 2016, geared towards facilitating long-term expansion capabilities for the airline’s future network requirement.
The orders comprise 45 aircraft in total, 39 of which will be equipped with the latest AVANT full high definition monitors, the most lightweight ever deployed. The business cabin will be equipped with the award winning Thales Touch Passenger Media Unit providing the opportunity to multi-task on a second screen, which greatly enhances passenger experience.
Today’s announcement follows the recent release of Gulf Air‘s 2015 financial and operational results, which showed the airline’s ongoing positive development as it realises full commercial sustainability and increasingly focuses on managing and further investing in its ongoing growth and development.