Bluebox Aviation Systems is pleased to announce a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) has been granted for the aircraft-powered version of its wireless in-flight entertainment (W-IFE) system, Bluebox Wow.
Issued by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to Design Organisation Approval (DOA) holder Aerospace Engineering Solutions, the STC applies to all Airbus A320 Family aircraft. The STC was approved after testing was completed with a soon-to-be-announced customer in the Asia-Pacific region.
“The granting of this STC is an exciting and major milestone for us as we continue to sign up new airline customers eager to return to the business of delivering exceptional digital in-flight experiences to their passengers,” said James Macrae, CTO, Bluebox.
“Our original version of Bluebox Wow, with its swappable battery system, has been a game-changer in the IFE market, introducing a cost-effective way to deploy IFE to airlines that might never have considered it before due to the high costs involved with installing fully embedded systems. But as the demand for W-IFE has grown – in conjunction with the development of our more powerful digital platforms that our customers can use for engaging their passengers and earning ancillary revenue – we’re attracting the interest of airlines with larger fleets. By utilising aircraft power, Bluebox Wow devices can deliver the same digital IFE services without a battery present, eliminating the need for logistics management of batteries, and still offering a considerably lighter and lower-cost system than fully fitted W-IFE.”
Macrae continues: “The STC also includes automatic Pause on PA functionality that pauses playback in the event of announcements from the flight deck or cabin crew. Further, by removing the battery completely from this version of Bluebox Wow, we avoid the need for complicated battery/flight status logic and control and the possible risks involved with that – making it much easier to ensure our system is DO-178 compliant. It’s a simple and elegant approach.”
Bluebox Wow provides wireless content streamed to passenger devices in any aircraft cabin, including a wide range of film, TV, audio, games, and other digital content. These services can be offered to passengers on a complimentary basis or paid for via payment card or voucher access with no cabin crew interaction required.
Bluebox also offers onboard retail services, including the ability to order and pay for products and services via passenger devices with full inventory synchronisation, in parallel to traditional sales from galley carts via cabin crew point-of-sale devices. In addition to onboard touch-free sales, Bluebox’s retail solutions also enable pre-paid (booking path) purchases. With a remarkably low cost of ownership, Bluebox Wow is a discrete, lunchbox-sized unit, typically stowed securely in overhead bins.
With battery- and aircraft-powered versions of Bluebox Wow, the linefit option for Bluebox’s W-IFE platform available on Airbus OSP and retrofit on traditional avionics grade hardware, Bluebox’s range of hardware options for its digital in-flight platform ensures the greatest choice and flexibility are available to customers, especially those with different aircraft types and fleets of any size. This also means that Bluebox can deploy a consistent customer experience across a fleet – whether that be to provide more traditional entertainment content, offer food & beverage or retail sales on board or through the passenger journey, or deliver other innovative services designed to engage passengers and build customer loyalty as well as increase ancillary revenue.
Bluebox Aviation Systems Ltd. (www.blueboxaviation.com)
Bluebox Aviation Systems Ltd. specialises in software solutions for the aviation industry. The Bluebox in-flight entertainment (IFE) portfolio provides airlines the latest technology to enhance the passenger experience with cost-effective and revenue-generating alternatives to seatback IFE systems.
Bluebox wireless IFE software is available on a range of hardware platforms to provide services on passengers‘ own devices, including on-board retail and IFE content (movies, TV, audio, games and other digital content), in any aircraft cabin. As part of any wireless IFE deployment, Bluebox also provides user interface development, content integration, and highly-rated ongoing system support.
Headquartered in Dunfermline, Scotland, Bluebox has a global support network in Europe, the US, Australia and Singapore.
About Aerospace Engineering Solutions (www.aesglobal.co.uk)
Aerospace Engineering Solutions (AES) is an EASA Part21J (EASA.21J.722), GCAA CAR 21 (DOA/181) and ECAR 21 (ECAA/AW/AE/I0151/R1) Design Organisation Approval (DOA) supporting aerospace clients across the globe. The company design and integrate engineering modification STCs on commercial aircraft for airlines, aircraft leasing companies and OEMs worldwide.
Founded in 2001 and with locations in UK and Ireland, AES has gained a reputation within the aerospace industry for delivering high quality and cost-effective design solutions.
Featured image credited to Bluebox
