After a successful year in 2021, we want to share our industry knowledge by interviewing the talented employees who make Inflight Dublin thrive.

Kicking off our first interview of the ‘Sitting Down With’ series with some industry insight and outlook for 2022 is Inflight Dublin’s CEO, John White. 

How did the pandemic continue to affect business throughout 2021? To what extent did you see it recover?

During 2021, Inflight Dublin (IFD) saw increased demand for its products and services as the world started to manage the pandemic better and airline activity increased.

At the beginning of 2021, the continuation of the pandemic dampened expectations in relation to the rate of recovery. However, with the increased rollout of vaccines throughout the world, the industry grew strongly during the northern hemisphere summer and into the latter part of the year. However, with the emergence of the Omicron variant towards the end of year there was a negative impact on demand.

At the year end, despite being in the middle of the Omicron wave, there was increased optimism that 2022 would be the year that we got on top of the Covid crisis and that there will be a strong recovery in business. Having finished 2021 with an increased level of business, we are confident that our business will grow strongly in 2022.

How did Inflight Dublin adapt to the ever-changing environment of the aviation & inflight entertainment industry during the second year of the pandemic?

IFD continued to focus on 3 key areas:

1. Product & service innovation
2. Delivering value to our clients
3. Enhancing our customer service

The pandemic has led airlines to review their businesses and identify new and more efficient ways to operate and deliver services to their customers.

At a very early stage of the pandemic, IFD recognised that there would be a paradigm shift in the industry and that greater levels of innovation, value and customer service would be required. Therefore, we invested in these areas. As well this, we reviewed our own business to ensure that we were optimising the way we operated, as well as ensuring that we were structured in the right way to exploit future growth opportunities.

What were Inflight Dublin’s biggest achievements & developments in 2021?

IFD’s biggest achievements during 2021 were working in partnership with our clients to help them successfully navigate the crisis: I’m delighted to report that none of our clients went out of business and that we didn’t lose any of them.

Moreover, we were delighted to win a number of new airline clients, including Qatar Airways, Ukraine International, Neos and others. We also expanded our partnerships with existing clients with the rollout of IFD’s Everhub Wireless system on Ethiopian Airlines, Sunclass Airlines and Azur Air.

In terms of developments, we invested heavily in our Everhub Wireless IFE solution and delivered a range of benefits, including: lower costs, remote updating of content, payment platform for on board retail, destination services, crew app and enhanced data analytics through our IFD Insights™ tool.

On the Content side of our business, we extended our Content management System (CMS) to further improve our workflow efficiencies and deliver in-depth cycle management and analytics tools to our clients.

Our hard work and success was also recognised through receiving the Top 10 Aviation Solution Provider Award with Aerospace Defense Review.

What is your outlook for 2022? What’s next for Inflight Dublin?

I am very positive about the outlook for 2022. I strongly believe that it will be the year that the world starts to overcome the Covid crisis and that there will be a strong recovery in the airline industry due to the pent-up demand for travel.

At IFD, we are very excited to be moving into a new state-of-the-art facility next month. We have equipped the new space with the very latest technologies and the highest levels of security, and have ensured that there’s enough space to accommodate our significant growth plans.

From a product and service point of view, we will continue to focus on delivering the highest levels of innovation, value and service to our clients. This will include the delivery of a number of new services on our Everhub wireless platform, which will include greater revenue generation opportunities for our clients, lower costs, enhanced flexibility, more in-depth passenger usage data, and increased hardware options. Watch this space!

As we say goodbye to 2021 and begin a new year, we are taking a look back at Inflight Dublin’s exciting developments over the past 12 months. From new partnerships, awards, and new clients for wireless and content services, 2022 is shaping up to be even better.

March

Gladi8tor Gaming Partnership

Inflight Dublin announced its exciting new partnership with innovative inflight games provider, Gladi8tor Gaming, enabling clients to enhance the passenger experience while also generating revenue through game sales and advertising.

April

Korean Air Wireless IFE 

The flag carrier of South Korea, Korean Air, chose Inflight Dublin to provide a 6-month trial of its wireless Inflight Entertainment (IFE) solution, Everhub™.

Wideroe Wireless IFE 

Inflight Dublin was selected by Widerøe to equip their Embraer E2 aircraft with the DO-160G certified Everhub™ Portable wireless server for a 6-month trial.

May

Air Peace Wireless IFE

Air Peace, a valued client for content services for over 4 years, chose to expand their partnership with Inflight Dublin with a trial of the Everhub™ Wireless IFE solution.

June

Sunclass Airlines Content & Wireless IFE

Inflight Dublin was awarded the contract for the provision of content and wireless IFE services by valued client, Sunclass Airlines.

Cabo Verde Wireless IFE

Cabo Verde Airlines chose Inflight Dublin to equip their B757 aircraft with the Everhub™ Wireless IFE solution.

July

Top 10 Aviation Solution Provider Award

Inflight Dublin was included in the 2021 Top 10 Aviation Solution Providers list by Aerospace Defense Review, which has an audience of 87,000+ digital subscribers including top tech decision-makers, engineers and corporate management within airlines.

September

Neos Content Services

Inflight Dublin was awarded the contract for the provision of IFE content services by Italian airline, Neos.

October

ASKY Content & Wireless IFE

ASKY, The Pan African airline, partnered with Inflight Dublin for the provision of content and wireless IFE services on its fleet of Boeing 737s New Generation aircraft.

Qatar iPad Solution

Inflight Dublin was chosen by Qatar Airways, Qatar Executive and Qatar Amiri to provide its Everhub™ iPad solution. The interactive media application is DRM-enabled and includes a fully customizable Graphical User Interface (GUI) that is aligned with Qatar Airways’ illustrious IFE brand – Oryx One.

UIA Wireless IFE

Inflight Dublin was selected by Ukraine International Airlines (UIA) to provide its end-to-end wireless IFE solution, Everhub™. The multi-year deal sees Inflight Dublin initially equipping 15 of UIA’s aircraft with its DO-160G certified Everhub™ portable wireless server.

December

APEX Expo 2021 – Long Beach

Inflight Dublin attended APEX Expo in Long Beach, the first in-person event for the industry in 2 years.

We’re looking forward to meeting everyone face-to-face again in 2022!

Inflight Dublin has been selected by Ukraine International Airlines (UIA) to provide its end-to-end wireless inflight entertainment (IFE) solution, Everhub™.

The multi-year deal sees Inflight Dublin initially equipping 15 of UIA’s aircraft with its DO-160G certified Everhub™ portable wireless server. The Everhub™ software platform will be accessible to UIA’s passengers through Inflight Dublin’s advanced passenger web application. The accompanying content package consists of Hollywood blockbusters, popular TV shows and Inflight Dublin’s revenue-generating games platform, Gladi8tor Gaming. Advertising will also play a key role in creating new revenue streams for UIA.

Underpinning Everhub’s™ engaging services is a bespoke data analytics platform, Insights®, where performance reports will be generated, reviewed and utilised to optimise services moving forward.

Ukraine International Airlines is the flag carrier and largest airline of Ukraine. With its main hub in Kyiv, it operates flights to over 8 domestic and 33 international destinations.

Inflight Dublin has been selected by Qatar Airways, Qatar Executive and Qatar Amiri to provide its Everhub™ iPad solution.

As part of a three year partnership that launched in September 2021, Inflight Dublin is leveraging the software platform from its successful wireless IFE solution, Everhub™. The interactive media application is DRM-enabled and includes a fully customizable Graphical User Interface (GUI) that is aligned with Qatar Airways’ illustrious IFE brand – Oryx One.

Markus Mainka/Shutterstock.com

Inflight Dublin’s CTO, David Miller said “We are delighted to have delivered our innovative pre-loaded iPad solution to Qatar Airways and its Executive fleet. As an extension of our market-leading wireless IFE platform, Everhub™, tight timelines were overcome through the efficient onsite delivery and management of hundreds of devices that are powered by Everhub’s advanced and user-friendly media application. The technical expertise of Inflight Dublin combined with the adaptability of the Everhub™ software ensures a truly tailored and reliable experience for each of our airline partners.”

ASKY, The Pan African airline, partners with Inflight Dublin for the provision of wireless Inflight Entertainment (IFE) and content services on its fleet of Boeing 737s New Generation aircraft.

Commencing this last quarter of 2021, the three-year partnership sees Inflight Dublin providing its wireless IFE solution, Everhub™, across ASKY airlines’ B737 fleet. Inflight Dublin’s market-leading Everhub™ software platform will excite passengers through a range of engaging features. The content catalogue consists of Hollywood movies, popular TV Shows, local African programmes and documentaries, music and games.

ASKY airlines will also be utilizing Inflight Dublin’s bespoke data analytics platform, IFD Insights™, where they will gain access to intuitive performance reports that will support the optimisation and expansion of their IFE service moving forward.

About ASKY:

ASKY, The Pan-African Airline, is a 100% privately owned airline created by regional banking institutions in Africa that includes The ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID), The West African Development Bank (BOAD) and ECOBANK Group (ETI) in partnership with Ethiopian Airlines.

ASKY is a commercial company under private law and is managed by experienced African aviation professionals, with Ethiopian airlines as its strategic partner.

ASKY currently operates a fleet of ten aircraft: five (5) Boeing 737-800s and five (5) Boeing 737-700s, serving twenty-five (25) cities in twenty-two (22) countries within Africa.

ASKY’s focus is to develop a strong intra-Africa network that foster regional development, tourism, economic growth and regional integration as a major economic catalyst within the continent with its long-term goal of a sustainable business focused on profitability.

For more information, contact communication@flyasky.com, visit our website www.flyasky.com or our LinkedIn; Twitter Facebook and Instagram pages, @ASKY Airlines

About Inflight Dublin:

Inflight Dublin is a leading global provider of inflight entertainment (IFE) solutions with a 37-year history of supplying airlines with the latest Hollywood and international content, as well as wireless, digital, and design services. Everhub is Inflight Dublin’s touch-free, end-to-end wireless IFE solution consisting of Hardware, Software, Content and Ancillary Services to deliver a “one-stop-shop” for airlines to provide an engaging experience for their passengers, while also generating considerable revenues for the airline. With over 50 clients, including the flag carriers of 15 countries, Inflight Dublin’s content supply business is the market leader in Africa and Scandinavia, while also being dominant across Europe.

For more information, contact jane.boland@inflightdublin.com, visit our website www.inflightdublin.com or our LinkedIn and Twitter, @InflightDublin.

Inflight Dublin has been providing IFE content services to Sunclass Airlines since 2014, ranging from the latest Hollywood movies to promotional motion graphics.

Challenge

What was the requirement identified by Sunclass Airlines?

When Sunclass Airlines began to investigate wireless IFE options, they witnessed the growing popularity and many benefits it offers. Inflight Dublin advised on the Everhub™ solution which would align with their current offering of seatback content and provide a touch-free solution for passengers during a time when hygiene and safety is a top priority.

Solution

How we addressed Sunclass Airlines’ requirements

After receiving a demo of the solution, Sunclass Airlines were satisfied to proceed with a full deployment of Everhub™ across its A321 fleet. With tight deadlines to ensure a seamless entry to service, the solution had a complete turnaround of just 8 weeks from discussion to full installation.

Key Features of the solution:

• Hardware: Fully certified portable server with hot-swappable batteries and remote syncing and content update capabilities.
• Engineering: No STC required. Quick and easy deployment.
• Software: Complementing the portable server, the Everhub™ software platform features a fully customizable GUI tailored to Sunclass Airlines’s brand identity.
• Ancillary Revenue: Advertising for onboard snacks and duty-free
• Analytics: Inflight Dublin’s intuitive analytics platform, IFD Insights, was accessible to Sunclass Airlines to monitor most popular content watched by passengers and advertising performance.
• Content: The content package featured Hollywood blockbusters, TV shows and YouTube content, and Publications.
• Support: Inflight Dublin’s dedicated engineering and account management team were available at every step to assist with the installation and continued maintenance of the solution.

Outcome

The resulting benefits to Sunclass Airlines

Sunclass Airlines expanded their IFE offering from traditional overhead and seatback systems to include a touch-free option for passengers to continue enjoying content on board. Constant communication between Sunclass Airlines and Inflight Dublin’s account management and engineering teams was a key factor that led to the project’s success.

Inflight Dublin also assisted in providing instructional information and materials to help Sunclass Airlines promote the system on board and increase passenger uptake. The feedback from passengers using Everhub was very positive, with praise for the ease of use and connecting to the system being the most frequent response, as well as the great selection of content available.

Sunclass Airlines had a great uptake in passengers utilizing Everhub™ and impressive results for advertisements and IFE ratings:

Inflight Dublin has been awarded the contract for the provision of Inflight Entertainment (IFE) content services by Italian airline, Neos.

Commencing in November 2021, Inflight Dublin will be providing a broad range of content across Neos’ fleet of B737 NG, MAX and B787 aircraft. The content catalogue features the latest Hollywood blockbusters, Classic movies and International content.

“Neos consistently works to deliver the finest services to our passengers and this new partnership with Inflight Dublin to provide a new and exciting inflight entertainment offering will be a great enhancement on board. The Inflight Dublin team have already been extremely proactive whilst demostrating fantastic support and we look forward to broadening our partnership in the future.”

– Aldo Sarnataro, Neos’ Commercial Director

“We are delighted to be working with Neos to provide an exciting catalogue of content to its passengers in the coming months. Inflight Dublin’s extensive experience around Europe and dedicated teams are key factors that enable us to provide a unique and personalized experience to Neos and its passengers.”

– Barry Flynn, Inflight Dublin’s CCO

Inflight Dublin has been included in the 2021 Top 10 Aviation Solution Providers list by Aerospace Defense Review, which has an audience of 87,000+ digital subscribers including top tech decision-makers, engineers and corporate management within airlines.

A multi-layer selection process including subscriber nominations, in-house market research, and a final decision by the Advisory Board, Inflight Dublin and in particular its wireless IFE solution, Everhub, was chosen for the final list. Other featured companies include Airbus, Safran and Vision-Box.

To read the full interview with Inflight Dublin’s CEO John White, click here.

The hazy July days are upon us, so what better time to pick our favourite summer movies?

Check out Jane’s, Conor’s and Rika’s choices below – and make sure to let us know yours on LinkedIn and/or Twitter. 🙂

Jane Boland – Marketing Executive

The film that screams “summer” to me has to be Mamma Mia! The Movie.

Shot on the sunny Greek island of Skopelos, the backdrop of glistening ocean, steep cliffs and cobblestoned streets would convince anyone who’s watching to book a holiday to Greece ASAP.

The film is an adaptation of the theatre show of the same name which is written by British playwright Catherine Johnson, and of course features all the greatest ABBA hits.

The incredible soundtrack paired with the stellar cast is a match made in heaven that makes you overlook Pierce Brosnan’s questionable singing.

Meryl Streep is radiant from start to finish and I love her relationship with Amanda Seyfried, which shows the deep bond between mother and daughter and the fear of letting each other go.

However, supporting actresses Christine Baranski and Julie Walters steal the show for me with their quick wit and brilliant banter throughout.

The ending is as satisfying as a movie like this should be, with every little issue or dilemma resolved and tied up in a pretty bow.

To sum it up: a bubbly romantic comedy that will have you dancing in your seat while also making you want to leave your life behind and run a hotel on a deserted Greek island.

Conor Regan – Snr. Content Acquisitions Executive

Summer movies are usually light on their feet, upbeat and a bit nostalgic.

Families go on poorly planned road trips, while teenagers have wistful romances. Beer, beaches and barbeques.

It’s cheery, easygoing, undramatic stuff.

Independence Day is not cheery, easygoing, undramatic stuff.

So how does it qualify for this post?

Well, can you think of a better way to spend an August evening than in the company of Will Smith and Jeff Goldblum, as they nuke the alien mothership?

I sure can’t.

Because Independence Day is the definition of “summer blockbuster”: big, bold, and a whole lot of fun.

Now, to be fair, the movie isn’t perfect. It has its share of implausible moments.

Like, how did Jeff transfer the virus to the mothership from his mid-90s Mac? Was there Wi-Fi onboard? Did he use Bluetooth? A USB?

And how did Will knock out that massive alien with just one suckerpunch? Maybe he had already started training for “Ali”. Who knows.

But there’s a lot to like here. So much in fact, that I’m happy to overlook the occasional, logic-defying plot hole. For instance:

• The cast is excellent, and has real chemistry (special mention to Judd Hirsch – I love his performance).
• The practical effects have held up very well.
• The action scenes, especially the dogfights, are tense and exciting.
• Bill Pullman’s iconic “today is our Independence Day” speech.
• The aliens are mysterious and scary.
• It’s surprisingly funny for a disaster film.
• The whole goddamn thing is just magnificently enjoyable.

So there you have it. Independence Day: perhaps an unlikely candidate for a favourite summer movie, but what can I say? It goes down easy.

Not unlike the alien ships, once their shields are down.

Rika Argadireja – Metadata Team Lead

My favourite summer movie would be the teen comedy What a Girl Wants.

Loosely based on The Reluctant Debutante, a 1955 play by William Douglas Home, it tells the story of Daphne Reynolds (Amanda Bynes), a 17-year-old New Yorker who embarks on a trip to England to find her long-lost father (Colin Firth).

In contrast to her free-spirited musician mother Libby (Kelly Preston), her father, Henry Dashwood, turns out to be a wealthy Lord and a prominent politician hoping to eventually become the prime minister.

He met her mother in Morocco, and they got married in a Bedouin wedding ceremony. When Henry brings her home to meet his family, Alistair, Henry’s aide, plots to drive them apart.

He tricks her to conceal her pregnancy from Henry and tells Henry that Libby is leaving because she was in love with someone else, leading Henry to be unaware of Daphne’s existence.

To make matters worse, Henry is currently engaged to Alistair’s daughter, the snobby Glynnis, who has an equally snobby teenage daughter, Clarissa.

They feel threatened by Daphne’s presence, since they think that a love child would negatively influence Henry’s political aspirations.

Undaunted, Daphne dives into a schedule of social events, determined to prove that love and proper etiquette can conquer all.

But as hard as she tries to reunite her parents and make a bid for “Debutante of the Year,” Daphne cannot conceal her irrepressible personality or hide what a girl wants.

Coming-of-age has always been my favourite genre, and in my opinion, this movie provides a good example of what growing up feels like – the struggles, emotions, and the desire to find ourselves.

Furthermore, the sentimental story is well-supported by the superb cast, Colin Firth’s charming acting and the lively chemistry between Firth and Bynes. Sweet and funny, this heart-warming movie never fails to put a smile on my face!

Inflight Dublin has been providing IFE services to Condor since 2010, ranging from VOD and overhead content to design and marketing support.

When Condor identified the need for additional IFE services, Inflight Dublin was pleased to assist and provide a solution that worked best for the airline and its passengers.

Challenge

What was the requirement identified by Condor?

With new flights being launched to the Caribbean in October 2020, Condor sought a quick turnaround for a cost-effective IFE solution for its B767 aircraft. With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, wireless IFE appealed to Condor as a touch-free solution to allow its passengers to continue enjoying IFE on board in the safest way possible.

Solution

How we addressed Condor’s requirements

Inflight Dublin offered Condor a trial of its wireless IFE solution, Everhub™, which was quickly deployed in 4 weeks.

Key Features

• Hardware: Fully certified portable server with hot-swappable batteries and remote syncing and content update capabilities
• Engineering: No STC required. Quick and easy deployment.
• Software: Complementing the portable server, the Everhub™ software platform features a fully customizable GUI tailored to Condor’s brand identity.
• Ancillary Revenue:  Advertising for onboard snacks and duty-free, as well as a SIXT car rentals branded car game were also included to generate ancillary revenue.

• Analytics: Inflight Dublin’s intuitive analytics platform, IFD Insights, was accessible to Condor to monitor survey results, most popular content watched by passengers and advertising performance.
• Content: The content package featured Hollywood blockbusters, TV shows and YouTube content, as well as Games and Publications. Condor’s duty-free onboard magazine ‘bordshop’ also featured in the catalogue.
• Support: Inflight Dublin’s dedicated engineering and account management team were available at every step to assist with the installation and continued maintenance of the solution.

Outcome

The resulting benefits to Condor

Everhub™ enabled Condor’s passengers to safely stream secure, DRM content directly to their devices on board.

The solution had excellent results in terms of passenger satisfaction & ancillary revenue opportunities for Condor.

Following on from a successful trial, Condor continues to utilize Everhub™ on their B767 aircraft with plans to expand the service offering in the near future.

For more information on the Everhub™ free trial, click here.