Sales of aircraft entertainment systems seen surging 10%

Miami

AIRLINES will propel annual sales growth of in-flight entertainment systems by more than 10 per cent for several years as they scramble to put better Internet connections on aircraft, the head of Thales' connectivity business said.

Travellers increasingly want airlines to provide connectivity on flights that matches what they have at home, Dominique Giannoni, chief executive officer of Thales' InFlyt Experience business, said in an interview on Monday at the International Air Transport Association annual meeting in Miami. People want to watch a movie on an in-seat screen while checking email on a computer tablet and working on a laptop, he said. "It's multitasking in the air," he said.