Hamburg -  Air Arabia has selected Rockwell Collins' dPAVES™ in-flight entertainment (IFE) system for installation on 49 of its A320 aircraft.

"Air Arabia's selection of our dPAVES system underscores the airline's commitment to providing customers with a high-quality entertainment experience, and Rockwell Collins' commitment to providing a solution that meets the diverse needs of today's single aisle IFE customers," explained Tommy Dodson, vice president and general manager, Cabin Systems for Rockwell Collins. "We're excited to build on our relationship with Air Arabia and provide them with both in-flight entertainment and avionics solutions to meet all their business needs."

At the core of dPAVES is the Broadcast Digital Server (BDS) offering 160 gigabyte storage capability, integrated PRAM functionality and embedded Airshow Moving Map - all in one 4 MCU box. The large storage capability of the BDS allows for multiple play periods of entertainment content, and the server automatically selects the new content when the new play period starts.

Other dPAVES benefits include: Scalable Architecture. Installing dPAVES will result in a reduced total cost of ownership versus other IFE solutions. System enhancements are easy and inexpensive to configure at a later date. Route Specific Content. Airlines can select from over 1,000 city-pair IFE programs, perfectly timed for the length of the route.

Providing timely and interesting programs to passengers promotes safety by helping to keep passengers in their seats. Fleet Commonality of Line Replaceable Unit (LRU). Either Airbus or Boeing single-aisle aircraft use the same PAVES' UADS equipment, reducing the need for separate parts inventories for a mixed fleet of aircraft. Plug and Play LRUs.

The simplicity of PAVES' system components allows maintenance staff to quickly diagnose and replace parts, cutting down on costly and time consuming repairs. Integrated 3D Airshow Moving Map.

The latest-generation Airshow moving map is seamlessly embedded into the dPAVES Broadcast Digital Server (BDS) - no additional hardware is required. Flyable Data Loader. dPAVES' onboard Flyable Data Loader (FDL) eases loading of digital content and saves time and resources.

Fifty gigabytes of video and audio programming can be loaded within five minutes via a single Blu-ray disc, and then automatically transferred to the server - no technical crew intervention required. Simultaneously, entertainment can be presented to the passengers. Hands-off Operation.

Fully automated, predefined content sequences will be initiated with the start of the system specific to each route without any operational intervention necessary. In October, Air Arabia also selected Rockwell Collins to provide a comprehensive package of communication, navigation and surveillance avionics for 59 new Airbus A320 family aircraft.

Source: Press Release (Rockwell Collins)