Inflight’s Kimberley Young provides a summary of the latest happenings across the IFEC and cabin technology sector.
This week, the US Travel Association has been encouraging Americans to plan their holidays for the year ahead as part of ‘National Plan for Vacation Day’. Last year saw American workers leave a record number of vacation days unused – 768 million days (up 9% on 2017) according to research.
The Association found that if Americans used their time off to travel, the economic opportunity amounts to $151.5 billion in additional travel spending and two million jobs.
While workers consider their travel plans for the year, aviation industry suppliers are forming new partnerships and strengthening ties to support the growing IFEC industries and provide those travelling by air with positive, memorable and seamless experiences.
In the business aviation sector, Delta Private Jets and the on-demand charter company Wheels Up have closed a previously announced transaction and partnership agreement, combining the two entities to create an owned and managed fleet of nearly 200 private aircraft.
Wheels Up Founder and CEO, Kenny Dichter, suggested the partnership will “democratise the industry”, making private flying experiences accessible to more individuals and businesses.
On the IFEC side, Gogo has launched a new digital rights management service, developed in partnership with castLabs, that will enable playback of video-on-demand content for browsers such as Safari and Chrome, without additional plug-ins or app downloads, aiming to make streaming a more seamless experience for passengers.
The Media Services, Distribution and Technology Solutions company Premiere Digital has acquired CMI Media Management, a service provider to the IFE industry. As Premiere Digital expands its reach across entertainment markets, Haitham Wahab of CMI, said the move will strengthen the position of CMI “as IFE continues to grow and technological innovation gains pace”.
Finally, Flame Distribution has acquired a package of titles from Entertain Me Productions through a new partnership that will give Flame exclusive rights to sell the titles worldwide. Series in the package include biographies exploring the lives of some of the biggest rock and pop music stars, as well as recognisable figures such as young climate activist Greta Thunberg, and a biography of the professional football player Cristiano Ronaldo – perfect for football fans in-flight.
For now, though, with about 150,000 out-of-state visitors expected to travel to Miami for the Super Bowl this weekend, those flying-in will no doubt enjoy the myriad forms of entertainment on offer ahead of the big game.
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