Qatar Airways has signed a groundbreaking agreement with Thales to equip its new A321 NX fleet with FlytEDGE, the world’s first cloud-native inflight entertainment platform. This partnership aims to enhance the passenger experience by leveraging cutting-edge cloud computing technologies and an open software platform.
As the first airline to select FlytEDGE, Qatar Airways is taking significant strides in its digital transformation journey. The FlytEDGE system, which has already garnered Thales’ Crystal Cabin award, promises to deliver unparalleled performance and personalized entertainment options for passengers.
Qatar Airways, recently voted the World’s Best Airline by Skytrax in 2024, has a history of collaboration with Thales, having previously equipped its Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, A350, and A380 aircraft with Thales’ inflight entertainment solutions. This new agreement extends their partnership to the A321 NX fleet, reinforcing their commitment to providing a superior passenger experience.
“FlytEDGE will elevate the entertainment experience to new heights, enabling access to streaming platforms, live personalization, and gaming,” said a Thales representative. The system allows for rapid integration of Qatar Airways’ extensive portfolio of brands and web-based applications. Powered by Thales’ award-winning Onboard Data Centre (ODC), FlytEDGE features the industry’s first blade architecture with 96TB of storage, facilitating onboard edge caching and more.
The FlytEDGE solution includes state-of-the-art 4K QLED HDR seatback displays that immerse passengers in over 1 billion vibrant colours, along with dual Bluetooth connections for pairing personal wireless devices. The user interface remains consistent across all devices—phones, tablets, and seatback screens—ensuring seamless interaction. Additionally, the Thales Crystal Cabin award-winning Pulse power management solution provides high-speed charging at each seat, allowing passengers to arrive at their destinations recharged and relaxed.
Xia Cai, Senior Vice President of Product Development at Qatar Airways, stated, “At Qatar Airways, we continue to enhance our world-leading passenger experience, and providing top-quality inflight entertainment is key to this approach. We are thrilled to partner with Thales to introduce FlytEDGE onto our entertainment platform, confident that our A321 NX fleet will offer the most innovative consumer technology in the skies.”
Yannick Assouad, Executive Vice-President of Thales Avionics, added, “At Thales, we believe that the future of inflight entertainment is limitless. Our partnership with Qatar Airways is growing stronger, and together we are bringing FlytEDGE’s advanced capabilities to their A321 NX fleet, ensuring passengers have unforgettable journeys.”
This collaboration represents a significant advancement in inflight entertainment, setting new standards for passenger engagement and satisfaction in the aviation industry.
