From April 2024, Discover Airlines will enter a three-year test phase of a next generation inflight entertainment system on a refitted Airbus A320. Each seat will feature a 14-inch 4K touchscreen, which will allow content personalization and connection to personal devices.
On Thursday (March 14, 2024), Discover Airlines announced the start of a three-year test phase for their next generation inflight entertainment (IFE) system. Starting April 2024, testing will take place on a refitted Airbus A320. The new IFE system features a 14-inch 4K touchscreen at every seat, with the entire offer available to guests free of charge. Customers will be able to personalize content and connect to their own personal devices via Bluetooth. From 2025, Discover will also offer free high-speed internet. The new AERENA Inseat System is the latest development of Lufthansa Technik and LG Electronics joint venture, AERQ.
In Thursday’s announcement, Discover Airlines’ Director, Product & Marketing, Maximilian Meintgens, said,
“We are proud to be the first airline to offer this special entertainment system. Discover Airlines guests experience one of the world’s most modern in-flight entertainment systems on this aircraft. And we are working with our partner AERQ to improve it even further. Our goal is to test the new system in everyday life and to understand how the travel experience can be further improved and personalized through feedback from our customers. The insights we gather during the test phase will make an important contribution to the further development of the in-flight entertainment experience for the entire Lufthansa Group.”
Also commenting on Discover Airlines’ AERENA IFE system testing, AERQ’s Co-Managing Director, Arnd Kikker, said,
"We are delighted that AERENA is now taking off and that both an airline and passengers can experience what our platform has to offer. Agility and speed in updating content, customization for a personalized encounter with guests and the connection of a wide range of partners and their services. These are just a few of the benefits that AERENA can offer airlines and their passengers.”
Lufthansa Innovation Hub’s Managing Director, and VP Innovation of Lufthansa Group, Xavier Lagardère, added,
"This joint project is a great example of how we can continuously improve the customer experience through innovation. We are delighted and proud that our investments in state-of-the-art in-flight entertainment together with our partners AERQ and Discover Airlines can now be experienced on our first aircraft.”
The test Airbus A320, registration D-AIUQ, will be recognizable by customers from the outside by the additional ‘next level entertainment onboard’ label. Discover Airlines will become the world’s first airline to install the AERENA Inseat system by Hamburg-based AERQ, a start-up join venture between Lufthansa Technik and LG Electronics. The AERENA system includes a large range of films, series, podcasts and games, as well as a moving 3D map, and also offers the option of integrating various apps and services. For example, at the start of the test phase, travelers will already be able to learn more about their destination and book tours while traveling to their holiday destination.
As previously mentioned, from the beginning of 2025, the aircraft will also be equipped with the latest state-of-the art internet technology, enabling fast surfing, payment and booking functionality, streaming and the integration of many other functions. As part of this, the IFE system will also include ‘Order to Seat’, allowing guests to order and pay for food, beverages and products from the inflight shop.
Headquartered in Frankfurt, Discover Airlines is Lufthansa Group’s quality leisure airline in Germany, flying travelers from Frankfurt and Munich to the most beautiful holiday destinations worldwide. The carrier has welcomed over four million guests since launching in Summer 2021. Through its full integration into the Lufthansa Group network and codeshare partnerships with Air Canada and United Airlines, Discover Airlines offers travelers a wide range of end-to-end bookings and seamless transfers. Currently, the airline operates a fleet of 24 aircraft and employs around 2,000 team members.
Source: Discover Airlines