Discover Airlines, a Germany-based leisure airline that is part of Lufthansa Group, has installed AERQ’s Aerena Inseat System, making it the launch customer. While an important moment for AERQ, it is a modest start, with the airline fitting the system on one of its A320 aircraft (tailsign D-AIUQ), which will serve medium-haul flights starting with the airline’s 2024 summer-time schedule as of 29th March. This implementation has been realised through a partnership between AERQ, Discover Airlines and Lufthansa Group Innovation Runway.
The installation marks a big milestone for AERQ (a joint venture between LG Electronics and Lufthansa Technik founded in 2019), as an STC (Supplemental Type Certificate) covering the installation of the Aerena Inseat System has been issued by EASA (the European Union Aviation Safety Agency).
Aerena is an open IT platform supported by a Cloud-based infrastructure, designed to enable digital cabin innovations throughout the travel journey and facilitate passenger engagement onboard the aircraft. The interaction will be intuitive to passengers, due to the PED (personal electronic device) friendly environment.
With the system operating on a narrow-body aircraft for medium-haul flights, Discover Airlines will test various use cases of Aerena. Passengers can access personalised offers and information digitally, including access to the onboard catering menu, as well as a variety of applications that enable options such as booking tours for the destination.
Discover Airlines will be able to customise its digital onboard product rapidly, and with functions such as smart data capturing, analytics, and matching, the airline can learn about its passengers’ entertainment demands and address them specifically.
“We are proud to be the first airline to trial this special entertainment system and to work together with AERQ on the next generation of inflight entertainment. Our goal is to test the system in everyday life and understand how to further improve and personalise the travel experience through feedback and usage behaviour from our guests. The insights we gather during the test phase will make an important contribution to the further development of the inflight entertainment experience for the entire Lufthansa Group,” stated Maximilian Meintgens, director of product & marketing at Discover Airlines.
The project is supported by the Lufthansa Group Innovation Runway, the group’s innovation ecosystem. The Innovation Runway aims to foster innovatation within the Lufthansa Group and with external partners, bringing together ideas and implementers, facilitating experimentation, and providing funding.
“Agility and speed in content updates, customisation of the onboard product for a personalised passenger encounter, and opportunities for new ancillary revenues through gaming or destination content are the advantages that will be derived from the implementation of Aerena”, said Son Yob (Louis) Pak, co-managing director at AERQ.
