Boeing will extend its collaboration with aircraft-seat maker EnCore, helping to develop an alternative supplier of cabin fittings after bigger players including Zodiac Aerospace suffered a series of production stumbles that have held back plane deliveries. After selecting the LIFT by EnCore economy-class berth for its 737 narrow-body jet, Boeing has chosen a new model for the twin-aisle 787 Dreamliner, the companies said Tuesday. “It’s not a secret that there have been challenges in the seat industry,” Beth Anderson, Boeing’s VP for payloads and systems, supplier management, said. “It’s not just Zodiac. There isn’t enough capacity.” Boeing’s expansion into helping to supply what’s usually regarded as “buyer-furnished equipment” is a further sign that it’s intent on taking whatever steps are necessary to avoid production delays. <br/>
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Airbus has unveiled the latest in a series of cabin upgrades for the A380, which together will allow airlines to add around 80 more seats and boost revenues, the manufacturer said. Airbus said it was developing a range of “cabin enablers,” with the latest the “New Forward Stairs” (NFS) option which it unveiled at the Aircraft Interiors Expo. “It’s based on the principle of adding seats without compromise on comfort,” said Airbus. New cabin enhancements should free up enough cabin floor space to increase seating from the average of 497 seats on A380s currently in operation to 575 in 4 classes, significantly increasing revenues for airlines, Airbus said. Other A380 cabin enablers include a combined crew-rest compartment, an 11-abreast economy layout on the main deck and 9-abreast premium economy on the main deck. <br/>
Airbus CyberSecurity, a unit of Airbus Defence and Space, has joined forces with SITA to launch a cybersecurity initiative specifically targeted at the air transport industry. The new incident-detection Security Operations Centre Services have been customised for the specific needs of the air transport industry to alert airlines, airports, and other stakeholders about unusual cyber activity that could impact their businesses. Airbus CyberSecurity already works with companies, critical national infrastructures, govts and defence organisations to detect, analyse and counter increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks. SITA is developing a new portfolio of cybersecurity products and services to help airlines and airports identify, detect and react to cyber threats. <br/>
Panasonic Avionics has unveiled a new inflight entertainment and connectivity (IFEC) platform called NEXT, which will launch on the Boeing 777X. Panasonic Avionics executive Jon Norris said NEXT has been designed as a flexible platform to keep pace with rapidly evolving IFEC technologies. “The NEXT platform is designed to help airlines overcome key challenges by transforming typically rigid entertainment systems into a flexible IFEC platform,” Panasonic said. NEXT is an IFE, connectivity and consumer technology platform, which supports new technologies including 4K screens, Light ID and Bluetooth. Norris said NEXT’s modular and scalable design will extend its lifecycle, maximising airline investment. “This is not technology for technology’s sake; we are focused on business outcomes,” he said. <br/>
Gogo believes the challenge of inflight connectivity bandwidth has now been overcome, leaving monetisation as the final hurdle. “We are now in an age where bandwidth is no longer an issue,” Gogo CCO Jon Cobin said. He added that the other limiting factor—of who pays—is still outstanding, but the ability to charge for connectivity is tied to bandwidth. “Airline passengers can now do whatever they want,” including on-board streaming and browsing, he said. “This is a key enabler in bringing connectivity to airlines.” Now the technological challenge has been overcome, the business model can evolve, he said. However, Cobin added there is no single solution to the monetisation dilemma: “To us, the answer is it is a multi-payer model,” he said. <br/>
Eight Democratic senators wrote a letter Monday urging Transportation secretary Elaine Chao to reconsider a 1-year delay in better airline reporting about mishandled bags and wheelchairs. The members of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee said the department should have given people with an interest in the regulation, such as disabled travellers, a chance to comment on delaying the reports from Jan 1, 2018, to Jan 1, 2019. The department approved the delay as part of a broader administration review of all pending and recently approved regulations. The rule published in the final months of the Obama administration changed how mishandled bags are counted and required separate reporting for mishandled wheelchairs and scooters. <br/>