Discover Airlines has installed the fully-fledged AERENA Inseat System by AERQ in one of its A320 aircraft. Discover Airlines, a part of Lufthansa Group has signed a partnership deal with AERQ. The A320, with tailsign D-AIUQ will serve medium-haul flights starting with the airline’s 2024 summer-time schedule from March 29, 2024.
AERQ’s open IT platform ‘AERENA’ is supported by cloud-based infrastructure and boosts digital cabin innovations throughout the travel journey and facilitates greater passenger engagement, claims AERQ. With AERENA onboard, passengers can benefit from personalised offers and information digitally including access to the onboard catering menu along with variety of applications like booking tours etc. enabling the passengers to make even more effective use of their travel time.
With an inseat system on a narrow-body aircraft for medium-haul flights, various use cases will be tested to fully realise the potential of AERENA. The software inspires interaction through a PED (Personal Electronic Device) friendly environment, thus lifting the passenger experience to the next level.
AERQ has acquired an EASA (European Union Aviation Safety Agency) STC (Supplemental Type Certificate) approval for AERENA inseat system.
Calling the partnership with Discover Airlines an important milestone, Arnd Kikker, co-managing director at AERQ is excited to experience what this platform has to offer the airline and passengers.
“Agility and speed in content updates, customisation of the onboard product for a personalised passenger encounter and opportunities for new ancillary revenues through gaming or destination content are the advantages that will be derived from the implementation of AERENA”, explaines Son Yob (Louis) Pak, Co-Managing Director at AERQ.
Discovery Airlines is the first airline to trial this special entertainment system with future goal to test the system in day-to-day life and further improve and personalise travel experience through feedback and usage behavior. “The insights we gather during the test phase will make an important contribution to the further development of the inflight entertainment experience for the entire Lufthansa Group,” explains Maximilian Meintgens, director product & marketing at Discover Airlines.”
Some of the salient features of AERENA are –
- AERENA’s agility allows rapid update of all content AVoD (Audio/Video on Demand)
- airlines can customise its digital onboard product rapidly, allowing it to be truly distinguished from its competitors
- By smart data capturing, analytics, and matching, airlines can learn about the passengers’ entertainment demands and address them specifically.
Xavier Lagardère, vice president, innovation, Lufthansa Group and managing director of the Lufthansa Innovation Hub, highlights the significance of this innovative collaboration: “Accelerating innovation enables us to continuously improve our customer experience, and this collaborative effort is a great example of that. We are excited and proud to see our investments in cutting edge inflight entertainment, together with our partners AERQ and Discover Airlines, installed in our first aircraft.”