ANA selects Bluebox Wow for turboprops

By March 4, 2019 May 4th, 2020 Featured, IFEC

As of 1 March All Nippon Airways (ANA) will fly with Bluebox’s portable wireless IFE platform, Bluebox Wow, across 11 of its Bombardier Dash 8 (Q400) aircraft on domestic and regional routes.

The deployment is part of ANA celebrating its 100th domestic aircraft equipped with free in-flight Wi-Fi.

To commemorate this milestone, ANA is enhancing Wi-Fi service with new features including additional free onboard video content and updates to the in-flight mobile app.

For the past year, passengers onboard ANA domestic flights, have had free Wi-Fi internet access and the ability to stream a range of video content through the ANA mobile app.

Starting on 1 March, ANA will expand the onboard video library to 100 titles, including movies. The selection of films has been curated in favour of films with shorter runtimes to allow passengers to view the entire movie prior to landing. Highlights from the library include a new film featuring Kabuki-style performances similar to the current ANA safety video. Furthermore, ANA currently has 11 Bombardier DHC8-Q400 with Wi-Fi service, however from 1  March, this service will be available on all 24 Bombardier DHC8-Q400. Additionally, ANA will renew its service of ANA SKY LIVE TV from 1 April, while also extending live TV access to “GAORA SPORTS” and “SPACE SHOWER TV,” Japan’s largest music channel.

Complementing the upgrades to Wi-Fi service, starting 8 April, ANA’s in-flight mobile app will also be undergoing a revamp. With improved ergonomic navigation, the newly redesigned app will be better suited to interact with ANA Wi-Fi service. The app will also introduce destination guides to the app’s Flight Path feature. Flight Path currently allows passengers to view the aircraft exterior from various angles while airborne but will, from 1 April, also include 100 of the top attractions to visit in Japan – as well as recommended running courses. The app will also include a new page where Japanese renowned gourmet site will give dining tips including recommended local restaurants. The new content will initially be available only in Japanese, however, ANA plans to add English content in the future.

“In-flight entertainment is an important component of the travel experience,” said Yutaka Ito, executive vice president of ANA. “ANA strives to provide quality service on all of our flights, from transcontinental flights to shorter domestic routes, and expanding entertainment is a crucial part of that commitment to service. Between updates to the mobile app and our increased selection of video content, passengers will be able to fully enjoy ANA’s enhanced in-flight Wi-Fi services.”

“We are delighted that ANA has put its trust in Bluebox to provide additional wireless IFE service in its Q400 fleet with Bluebox Wow, and contribute to its high-quality passenger experience,” said Kevin Clark, CEO, Bluebox. “It is an honour to be selected by this award-winning airline, and we are looking forward to delivering engaging IFE content to ANA’s passengers’ devices through Bluebox Wow.”

 

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