Astronics Corporation has received a supplemental type certificate (STC) from Transport Canada for ‘The Edge’, its latest aircraft cabin network platform that enables fully featured IFE. The Edge uses a distributed network architecture with Smart WAPs (Wi-Fi6 wireless access points) and servers that function as compute nodes. The setup is redundant and fault-tolerant and requires only minimal installation wiring – indeed Astronics says it can be installed on an aircraft overnight.
In other news, USA-based onboard e-commerce experience company, LiFE in the Air, has partnered with Astronics to use The Edge platform to host its digital inflight solution. LiFE in the Air is offering demonstrations to airlines so they can experience how the combined IFE service can generate ancillary revenue. LiFE in the Air’s digital inflight system enables airline passengers to use their personal electronic devices to buy products onboard, access IFE, with no air-to-ground (ATG) connectivity required.
Bayram Annakov, CEO and founder of LiFE in the Air stated, “With the needed STCs completed with Astronics, we can now focus our attention on Boeing 737-800 and MAX aircraft installations globally, and bring our innovative IFE solution to passengers, as travel starts to recover.”
