ARINC and Leading IFE Suppliers Launch Live Text News Service on Virgin AtlanticOctober 25, 2006Annapolis, Maryland—Virgin Atlantic Airways has just introduced something entirely new for its passengers: the latest breaking news of world events, sports, business, weather and entertainment—all delivered right to their seats. The new live text news service was developed by ARINC Incorporated in collaboration with the airline and Inflight Productions, Sky News, and eFlyte. Virgin Atlantic passengers can now keep up with events in the world below—even as they travel at 35,000 feet. Passengers can read the latest sports scores, business reports, world headlines, weather forecasts—even celebrity gossip. The all-text news stories are prepared by Sky News or by Virgin Atlantic, and are updated hourly. “People are routinely surrounded by news in their daily lives, so there is no reason they should be out of touch when they fly,” stated David Tharp, Virgin Atlantic Senior Manager, Development and Logistics. “Our passengers are extremely pleased to have access to the latest news at their seats, any time during their flight.” “ARINC is proud to play a major part in delivering this breakthrough in passenger services, in conjunction with leading suppliers in the inflight entertainment industry,” said Ed Montgomery, Managing Director, ARINC, Europe, Middle East and Africa. “Live text news marks the latest innovation by Virgin Atlantic, and it is one more achievement that will help differentiate Virgin Atlantic’s passenger services from competitors.” ARINC provides the satellite connectivity and systems integration for live text news. It is currently rolled out on Virgin aircraft equipped with Panasonic S3000 in-flight entertainment systems, and updates are planned for 2000E systems in the near future. “ARINC is proud of its close relationship with Virgin, and we view this as just the initial phase of providing live news and sports to aircraft,” continued Montgomery. “When greater bandwidth becomes available through Inmarsat Broadband services, the Live Text News service can be easily upgraded to support video news bulletins and sports flashes.” Virgin Atlantic Airways, formed in 1984, has become the second largest British airline and operates a fleet of Boeing 747 and Airbus A340 aircraft to a network of 26 destinations worldwide. The airline was founded on the concept of offering a competitive and high quality Upper Class and Economy service, and today it is the holder of every major travel award. Virgin Atlantic's Fleet consists of 6 Airbus A340-300s, 15 Airbus A340-600s, and 13 Boeing 747-400s, with an additional 16 aircraft on order. For more information, visit the web site at www.virgin-atlantic.com. ARINC Incorporated is the world leader in transportation communications and systems engineering. The company develops and operates communications and information processing systems and provides systems engineering and integration solutions to five key industries: airports, aviation, defense, government, and surface transportation. Founded to provide reliable and efficient radio communications for the airlines, ARINC is headquartered in Annapolis, Maryland, and operates key regional offices in London and Singapore, with over 3,200 employees worldwide. ARINC is ISO 9001:2000 certified. Release: 06-126 Corporate Communications |
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