Panasonic Avionics has unveiled a range of solutions designed to support airlines through the post-COVID recovery period. Tackling everything from IFE to bad smells, the suite of solutions, called the ‘Welcome Aboard’ Collection, can be adapted to suit individual airline’s needs. The company says they have been designed to instill passenger confidence and keep both customers and crew safe and well.
Stimulating passenger confidence
Panasonic Avionics has revealed a suite of inflight products and solutions designed to enhance passenger confidence in the post-COVID period. The elements in the collection include inflight connectivity and entertainment elements, as well as a number of other solutions to help passengers stay safe and well.
Ken Sain, Chief Executive Officer of Panasonic Avionics Corporation, commented in a statement sent to Simple Flying,
“These are challenging times for the airline industry, and we have leveraged our proven track record in digital innovation in the aircraft cabin to deliver solutions that can help make travel a safer experience for passengers and cabin crew.”
What is ‘Welcome Aboard’?
The Welcome Aboard collection from Panasonic Avionics aims to address post-COVID travel issues, with a focus on two specific areas. These are touching less frequently and showing passengers and employees that the airline cares.
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Touch less often
Under the ‘touching less’ focus, Panasonic has developed four key elements that can reduce the amount of physical contact a passenger has to make. The first of these is to digitize publications. During the crisis, we’ve already seen a number of airlines removing the inflight magazine due to hygiene concerns; now Panasonic says its ‘Onboard Reader’ will allow airlines to continue offering magazines and menus on the plane, but in a digital format instead.
This is complemented with the enablement of IFE control through the passenger’s personal electronic device. Through the Companion Application, passengers can avoid touching the screen and can control their inflight content via their own device. Taking this one step further, the Companion App can also integrate all elements of the IFE and the airline’s mobile app in one personalized product.
Finally, Panasonic has launched Zerotouch – a product that allows for remote data movement of information to and from the aircraft without any in-person element required. Software, media and content can be remotely delivered on the fly, allowing airlines to make changes and updates whenever they are needed.
Stay well
Using technology to care for passengers and crew is another welcome step-change in the Welcome Aboard package. The Digital Wellness element brings together wellbeing enhancing features, such as a personalized schedule to beat jetlag and curated content for relaxation.
Hygiene is a crucial issue right now, and Panasonic has launched Active Surfaces to tackle this problem. Active Surfaces gives airline cleaning teams a means of creating smooth buttons embedded into seats and walls, eliminating dirt traps, and enhancing cleanliness.
This is complemented by Panasonic’s Nanoe Air Cleanser, a revolutionary air purification module that generates ‘hydroxyl radicals.’ In plain English, it improves air quality and inhibits bacteria, viruses and unpleasant odors.
Finally, Panasonic has built into the package a customer feedback element, allowing airlines to gather data and discover what their passengers are thinking and feeling. This, it says, will enable meaningful decision making as airlines embark on the recovery phase.
What do you think of Panasonic’s ‘Welcome Aboard’ solutions? Tell us in the comments.