Wireless IFE provider AirFi has signed up Nesma Airlines as its first customer in the Middle East, and its 21st customer globally. Nesma plans to offer streaming IFE service to passengers flying on its Airbus A320 family aircraft in November this year, less than six weeks from contract signature.
AirFi’s portable wireless IFE platform allows passengers to access DRM and non-DRM movies and TV shows, games, chat, duty free and post-flight shopping, and daily updated news and social feeds. To ensure a good range of entertainment is available, the company works with over 50 content providers, including its official regional partner, Onboard International.
Furthermore, AirFi’s acquisition of a European technology firm earlier this year means passengers can also interact with a 3D moving map which features numerous points of interest and offers geo-fenced advertising opportunities.
Passengers can access the content by using their personal electronic devices to connect to a free onboard wi-fi network created by the AirFi boxes, which are positioned throughout the cabin in overhead bins. AirFi will initially offer Nesma’s passengers content in English, with the roll-out of Arabic-language content due soon after the system goes live next month.
Martijn Moret, AirFi’s chief innovation officer and director of operations in Asia, stated, “We’re very proud to announce our first Middle East airline customer, because it’s a new territory for us. It’s a tangible result of our expansion in focus from solely Europe out to the rest of the world.”
AirFi made the decision to expand its global reach earlier this year. So far, it has 18 European customers, as well as one carrier based in the Philippines and another based in Mexico. Moret also hinted that further confirmed customer announcements could be expected before the end of the year.
