AERQ, a Hamburg-based start-up developing digital platforms for aircraft cabins, has announced that it is discontinuing its business activities. The announcement is a surprise to many in the industry, as the company was founded in 2019 by two major corporations: Lufthansa Technik and LG Electronics. AERQ has spent the past five years in a build-up and development phase, primarily focused on Aerena, its proprietary platform-based in-flight entertainment (IFE) system supported by a Cloud-based infrastructure.
In March 2023 AERQ received AS/EN 9100, an industry-specific, globally harmonised standard for aerospace that certifies all quality management system requirements were being met. In February 2024 AERQ received EASA Form 1 certification for the first digital products in its Aerena range, which was a major milestone in the company’s readiness to supply the aviation, airline and MRO sectors with its technologies.
In March 2024 it was announced that Discover Airlines, a Germany-based leisure airline that is part of Lufthansa Group, had installed AERQ’s Aerena Inseat System, making it the launch customer for the IFE system. The airline fitted the system on one of its A320 aircraft serving medium-haul flights, for operational demonstration.
According to AERQ, although the Aerena product has “so far met all expectations in terms of features, quality, and customer satisfaction” in ongoing flight operations, the company had been facing significant obstacles to enter a very sensitive market for IFE systems. For this reason, the company’s shareholders have mutually agreed to cease AERQ’s operations with immediate effect.
This decision affects around 180 employees at AERQ’s Hamburg headquarters, who have already been informed. The closure of the office will be concluded as part of a wind-down procedure, which is currently being prepared.
