Qantas Project Sunrise Airbus A350s Will Have Panasonic Astrova IFE Systems

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Summary

  • Qantas unveils Airbus A350-1000 for ultra-long-haul flights with industry-leading Astrova inflight entertainment system.
  • Features include cinema-grade OLED 4K screens, spacious cabin layouts, and designated Wellness Zone for passenger comfort.
  • Panasonic Avionics collaborates with Qantas to provide cutting-edge IFE solution with fast charging capabilities for personal devices.

Qantas, Australia’s flag carrier full-service airline, first announced its ultra-long-haul Project Sunrise in 2017 and bit by bit, more details have emerged on the aircraft that will make the epic journeys and what passengers can look forward to onboard. In May 2022, Qantas chose the Airbus 350-1000, and recently, another piece of the jigsaw fell into place with news of the inflight entertainment system that will keep passengers amused for these 20+ hour flights.

More reasons to fly 20 hours nonstop

Entertainment giant Panasonic Avionics announced that Qantas has selected its new inflight entertainment system, Astrova, to be fitted to its 12 Airbus A350-1000s, which will be used for nonstop flights from East Coast Australia to New York and London. Qantas has gone to great lengths to ensure it understands the impact these ultra-long-haul flights will have on passenger wellbeing and what onboard changes it needs to make to give them an enjoyable experience, which will be a challenge on a 20-hour nonstop flight.

Qantas' A350-1000s

Image: Qantas.

When Qantas selected the A350-1000s, it also released details of how the aircraft would be configured and what features would be available in the first, business, premium economy and economy cabins. As is its way, Qantas has configured the aircraft with far fewer seats than on competitor’s A350s, allowing for more premium passengers and space for its revolutionary Wellness Zone located between the premium economy and economy cabins.

For Project Sunrise, Qantas wanted a state-of-the-art inflight entertainment system (IFE) installed across the Airbus widebody and has chosen Astrova, the new IFE solution from Panasonic Avionics. However, this is not the first time the pair have collaborated on IFE technology.

Inside a Qantas First Class suite on The Project Sunrise Airbus A350.

Photo: Qantas

Panasonic Avionic’s Vice President of Product Management, Andy Masson, said that for decades, the two had joined forces to launch game-changing IFE solutions and that Panasonic immediately understood that the ultra-long-haul routes would bring with them a new set of passenger needs and expectations, adding:

“Working closely with Qantas, our joint mission was to design a system that delivered all the creature comforts of home – everything from cinema-grade picture quality to high fidelity audio and enough power to fast-charge all passenger devices. We are extremely excited to offer this engaging, innovative and compelling solution, which supports long-haul and ultra-long-haul flights.”

Panasonic Astrova Business_Night_4K

Photo: Panasonic

Some of the features that Qantas passengers can look forward to include the industry’s only OLED 4K screen that is HDR 10+, has an infinite contrast ratio and produces perfect blacks for an unmatched viewing experience. This ties in with Masson’s comments about cinema-grade picture quality onboard the Project Sunrise A350-1000s.

An A350 cinema in the sky

Qantas announced that the A350-1000s would include six First suites in a 1-1-1 layout, 52 business seats (1-2-1), 40 premium economy seats (2-4-2) and 140 economy seats (3-3-3). The Wellness Zone gives every passenger a space to enjoy specially curated. guided movements via onboard monitors and to help themselves to refreshments.

Qantas Airbus A350-1000 Wellness Zone Project Sunrise

Photo: Qantas

When Qantas announced the aircraft’s configuration, it said all passengers would have touchscreen monitors, with 32″ screens in first class, 18″ in business and 13.3″ in both economy cabins. Bluetooth technology is becoming more common on new-generation aircraft, and customers will be able to connect to the system using their personal headphones. All cabins will feature full Bluetooth availability so customers can enjoy the benefits of the high-fidelity multi-channel spatial technology.

Panasonic Astrova Economy 4K

Photo: Panasonic

Keeping personal devices operating will be crucial on these long, nonstop flights, and the Panasonic system will feature up to 100 W of fast charging for mobile devices and laptops throughout the flight. First and business passengers will enjoy USB-A, C, and AC wireless charging outlets, while the premium economy and economy seats will each have two USB-C outlets, although that may have changed since 2022.

With technology changing so quickly, Qantas will also appreciate that Astrova is designed to evolve over time to help protect its significant investment in IFE. Airlines can continuously upgrade their Astrova systems as new technology versions become available, which ensures passengers always enjoy the same experience in the air as they do on the ground.

What do you think of a nonstop flight from Sydney to London or New York? Let us know in the comments.



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