Does new Qatar Airways, Thales pact hint at what lies ahead?

Qatar Airways and long-standing IFE partner Thales have inked a memorandum of agreement that will see Thales support the carrier as it implements its significant fleet expansion plan — an arrangement that could bode well for future embedded IFE contracts.

The Doha-based carrier has traditionally taken a multi-source approach to its IFE hardware. At present, Thales’ systems can be found on the carrier’s in-service Boeing 787-8s, Airbus A350s and A380s. Additionally, Qatar Airways’ new A321 NX fleet has been earmarked to be fitted with Thales’ award-winning FlytEDGE cloud-native IFE solution.

Panasonic Avionics, meanwhile, provides IFE on Qatar Airways’ current 787-9s and 777s and has been tapped to provide its new Astrova system on forthcoming 777-9 (777X) aircraft. Qatar recently bolstered its 777-9 commitment with Boeing by a further 30 aircraft, as announced in May.

But, as also announced last month, Qatar Airways has added at least 130 Boeing 787 Dreamliners to its order with Boeing, and taken options on an additional 50 Boeing widebodies (787s and 777-9s). Some of the carrier’s existing aged 787-8s will be replaced with these aircraft.

Will Qatar Airways hand a fresh embedded IFE order for the new 787s to Thales?

Nothing has been announced. However, the wording in Qatar Airways and Thales’ joint press release from the Paris Air Show is certainly interesting.

Their new memorandum of agreement (MOA) specifically calls for Thales to “support Qatar Airways’ strategic fleet growth plan announced last month” and, notably, “sets the course for future inflight entertainment (IFE) innovations to support Qatar Airways’ digital transformation journey, giving the airline access to the most innovative technologies.”

Moreover, they say, “The purpose of this MoA is to support Qatar Airways’ growth and the expansion of its new fleet.”

To facilitate this effort, Thales is pressing ahead with plans to establish a “dedicated IFE service and maintenance center in Doha to provide rapid access to services such as repair, spare distribution, technical assistance and turnkey maintenance for the full range of Thales IFE products on Qatar’s growing new fleet.”

“We are pleased to witness the continued advancement of our collaboration with Thales,” said Qatar Airways chief MRO officer, Eng. Ali Al Saadi in a statement.

“As we strive to maintain the highest standards in aviation technology and operational excellence, it is imperative that we remain at the forefront of innovation. Our partnership with Thales reinforces this ambition and supports our ongoing commitment to delivering industry-leading solutions.”

Yannick Assouad, executive vice-president, avionics, Thales added: “We are pleased to grow our partnership with Qatar Airways. This MOA highlights, once again, our mutual dedication to innovative technologies and the highest standards of operational excellence.

“It paves the way for a local service hub and growing expertise in Doha, bolstering the airline’s future growth ambitions.”

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