Panasonic Avionics announced that two new airlines have deployed its Astrova 4K OLED entertainment systems. Saudia has installed the new systems aboard its new Airbus A321XLR aircraft.
Azerbaijan Airlines has deployed the Astrova OLEDs on 11 of its Airbus narrowbody aircraft (six A321neo and five A320neo aircraft).
Qantas announced that it is refreshing its Economy class seats at its A330-200 planes, and will install new 13.3" 4K OLED in all these seats. Qantas will refresh 10 aircraft in total.
Qantas says that the first upgraded aircraft will enter service before the end of 2025, and the entire project is set to be completed by the end of 2026.
United Airlines unveiled the interior design of its new Boeing 787-9 cabins, with OLED displays used for all passengers, economy and business and class both.
First up is the United Polaris Studio suites, which are located at the first row of its new business class, with 25% larer area than regular Polaris business seats - and 27-inch 4K OLED displays. The new 'regular' business seats will sport 19-inch 4K OLEDs, while the Premium Plus seats has 16-inch 4K OLEDs. The regular economy seats will feature 13-inch 4K OLEDs.
Saudi Arabia's upcoming new airline, Riyadh Air, has unveiled the interior design of its Boeing 787-9 fleet. All seats will be equipped by 4K OLED displays, from 13.3" ones in Economy through 15.6" ones in premium economy to 32" ones in Business and Business Elite cabins.
Riyadh Air has chosen Panasonic's OLED-powered Astrova in-flight entertainment (IFE) solution.
Panasonic Avionics announced Air Canada will install Panasonic's OLED-powered Astrova in-flight entertainment (IFE) solution in over 80 aircraft starting in 2025.
Air Canada will fit Panasonic's Astrova line on its Boeing 787-10, Airbus A220-300 and A321XLR aircraft. Additionally, it will be retrofitted on A321s. Panasonic says the systems will use its its 4K OLED HDR10+ screens - but it did not detail the screen sizes and configurations for this project.
As OLED technologies are making inroads into the aerospace industry, LG Display has teamed up with Boeing and LIG Nex1 to introduce a new aircraft smart cabin concept, utilizing the company's latest OLED displays.
The three companies started collaborating back in 2020, to realize how OLEDs can benefit aircraft interior design. For this project, LG Display developed aircraft-specific OLED panels, ensuring higher reliability and safety compared to regular OLED panels. The new smart cabin concept includes a 55" OLED panel that is installed at the aircraft entrance, curved OLED at the aircraft's ceiling, 30-inch transparent OLED panels placed in the cabin partitions, and a 27-inch OLED panel in the crew galley.
Collins Aerospace, and Panasonic Avionics Corporation have co-developed a next-generation business class suite, called MAYA, which combines the two cmoapnies expertise in design, technology development and integration into a singular integrated solution.
The MAYA suite's centerpiece is a 45-inch curved 4K OLED display, which according to the two companies, provide "users with unprecedented immersion, customization and feature rich personalized viewing experiences". The suite is packed with lot's more technology, of course, and it utilizes recycled, reusable and plant-based materials along with a composite structures to reduce production waste.
Panasonic Avionics announced that it shipped its first batch of the latest Astrova 4K OLED inflight entertainment monitors. These monitors will be installed on Icelandair's forthcoming new fleet of leased Airbus A321neo LR aircraft (due in Q4 2024).
Icelandair will install 16" panels in its business class seats and 13" panels in economy. The new Astrova 4K OLED monitors offer HDR10+, high-fidelity multi-channel audio, USC-C 100W fast charging ports, and an external processing unit that can be placed in the seat box for easier installation.
Aviation display technology specialist Rosen Aviation is increasing its line of high-end OLED displays, and is set to introduce a 97-inch WOLED panel, the biggest ever display in an aircraft cabin.
Rosen Aviation - future VIP cabin design concept
Rosen Aviation's 97" OLED is set to receive the supplemental type certificate for a VIP aircraft by the end of 2023. Rosen has already signed up its first customer. Rosen says that beyond the exception OLED display quality, this display is very lightweight compared to a comparable LED LCD solution.
United Airlines has ordered Panasonic Avionics' Astrova aircraft internal entertainment platform to be installed at United's new Airbus A321XLR and Boeing 787, starting in 2025.
Panasonic's Astrova platform is based on 4K OLED displays. United did not specify which OLED sizes will be used, but we know that Panasonic offers 13-, 16- and 22-inch options for regular (economy) passenger seats (while it offers 19-, 22-, 27-, 32- and 42-inch for business-class seats, these displays were just announced a few days ago).
