Thales, leader in In-Flight Entertainment and Connectivity (IFEC) and Turkish Airlines, flag carrier of the Republic of Turkey and member of the Star Alliance, announce the Thales TopSeries AVANT in-flight entertainment system has been officially selected on board 25 of its A321 and 20 of its B737 aircraft.

Turkish Airlines is the world’s largest carrier by number of destinations and enjoys an average fleet age of just over 6 years, well below all its main European peers. The carrier achieved a huge 23.6% growth in 2013 with over 50 million passengers. It utilised this success and young fleet to develop a bold and successful strategy, positioning itself as one of the top airlines for passenger comfort. As a result, SKYTRAX, the world’s premier airline review service has, for the past three consecutive years voted Turkish Airlines Europe’s best airline.

This commitment to the passenger experience is reflected in the airline’s choice to operate the latest generation, award winning Thales TopSeries AVANT IFE system. The system is easily equipped on all advanced, single and twin aisle Airbus and Boeing aircraft and its unique design eliminates the electronics box under each cabin seat therefore improving passenger comfort and driving weight efficiency, both key drivers for the single aisle segment. The system’s scalable design allows Turkish to offer differentiation between classes such as single touchscreen in economy and interactive multi-screen in business. The AVANT system is also based on the Android Operating System, which accommodates a wide range of both off-the-shelf and airline specific applications easily integrated using the unique Thales Software Developers Kit (SDK).

A further element of the selection was Turkish Airlines’ ability to use Thales’s highly experienced global service and support network to ensure optimal system performance especially in fast turnaround situations, driving maximum passenger satisfaction and comfort.

Turkish Airlines’ Chief Executive Officer Dr. Temel Kotil has stated that: “Superior service is the distinguishing mark of Turkish Airlines, separating us from our competitors. We are trying to offer our passengers the best examples of Turkish hospitality while onboard. We are aware that the inflight services are the significant components for the satisfaction of our passengers and we continue to raise the bar. We are continuing to work on meeting the expectations of our passengers by constantly innovating to delight and surprise our guests as in this innovation. And with this new in-flight entertainment system we are convinced that we will bring an added value to the comfort of our passengers. All of these changes display the desire of Turkish Airlines to provide an unmatched travel experience.”

Commenting on the agreement, Dominique Giannoni, Chief Executive Officer of Thales’s In-Flight Entertainment and Connectivity (IFEC), said: “Turkish Airlines’ focus on providing passengers with an exceptional in-flight experience is reflected in both its efforts to build a solid IFE platform within single aisle aircraft whilst still providing a “wow-factor” to the passenger experience. Our AVANT solution is well positioned to bring these benefits to fruition: All classes enjoy full capacitive touchscreens in line with latest consumer technology. Premium class passengers will also enjoy the multiscreen environment provided by the award winning handheld touchscreen media unit. We are very honoured to work with Turkish Airlines on its path towards growth and excellence.”

Turkish Airlines and Thales have also agreed to a 10 year service agreement for the provision of media content support to ensure a dynamic and engaging passenger experience.

Thales press release