ice Digital Widescreen System is Emirates’ award winning inflight entertainment system that allows passengers use ICTs and entertainment inflight. The system was developed by Panasonic Avionics Corporation. Two days ago, Emirates made an announcement that the digital widescreen system had got a new GUI(graphical user interface) to enhance better use for passengers, and will be introduced within two weeks on the Emirates’ A380, then a year later on the Boeing 777 aircraft. The new GUI is unique to Emirates airline and includes a wide range of advanced capabilities that enhances the distinctiveness and elegance of Emirates’ inflight system, ice Digital Widescreen. The new ice experience includes the capability for passengers to discover the full entertainment system by “swiping” or “scrolling” through the vast library of media and entertainment that is available on Emirates, send SMS and email messages, explore the moving map system, Airshow, watch the in-flight landscape cameras, and access live text news from the BBC.
Also while at it, Emirates will in the next few months introduce several additional in-flight product enhancements , this includes large video screens which will go live on new Boeing 777 aircraft and Airbus A380 from May. Other additions are enhanced in-seat telephone handset and new Mode Controller in First Class and Business Class.
“Emirates has been tracking the commercial progress of GUIs, where an ever-expanding array of choices are available to consumers, and we wanted to bring the same experience, look, and feel available on smart phones and tablets to our loyal customers in an aircraft environment,” said Tim Clark, President of Emirates Airline.
Emirates is also committed to keeping its passengers the most connected in the sky. Every seat on all Emirates aircraft is already equipped with a seatback telephone and sms/email service and 90 aircraft feature the AeroMobile system, allowing passengers to use their own mobile phones inflight. In another investment in the Emirates experience, Wi-Fi connectivity for passengers was introduced to the A380 fleet in December 2011 and is now available on 18 aircraft. All remaining Emirates A380s are due to have Wi-Fi installed this year and from July of 2012 all new A380s will be delivered to Emirates with full Wi-Fi, mobile phone and data services available, allowing the Emirates passenger to be in touch like never before.
