AirAsia selected the AirFi wireless platform to boost inflight retail sales and entertainment options on board. The carrier has long offered a digital on-board experience across parts of its fleet. This deal extends the digital option to the planes operating without inflight connectivity on board.
AirAsia’s goals are ambitious, unique, and well-defined. Their digital vision is nothing short of inspirational, and the fact they’ve selected AirFi to help deploy their IFE and onboard retail strategy truly underscores the flexibility of the solutions we can offer. – AirFi CEO, Job Heimerikx
The deal will see AirFi’s streaming hardware flying on AirAsia planes. The company’s open software architecture will allow it to integrate the AirAsia digital experience (formerly Rokki) on board.
Rolling out over the coming months, the AirFi solution will deliver a seamless in-cabin extension of AirAsia’s acclaimed travel and lifestyle “super-app” digital ecosystem.
Read more: Can inflight Wi-Fi ever be profitable?
AirAsia joins Bamboo Airways, Scoot and the Lion Air Group as AirFi wireless entertainment and retail customers in Southeast Asia. The company also recently secured easyJet as a customer. Snagging two strong LCC brands in quick succession shows strong momentum for AirFi.
AirFi is also reported to be powering a trial for streaming retail solutions on board part of the Wizz Air fleet. PaxEx.Aero understands the the carrier’s wireless servers are on board on some of the planes flying under the Hungarian operating certificate.
AirFi’s position here gives Wizz Air a pair of competing inflight offerings. The fflya solution from AS-IP Tech is flying on planes from the UK subsidiary, with plans to roll out to all 19 planes in that sub-fleet.
With its on-board retail solution fflya can process credit card transactions in real time for the carrier, helping to reduce fraud. The solution also offers connectivity for passengers, in the form of messaging services.
AirFi’s LEO product offers competition in passenger connectivity and credit card processing, though structured somewhat differently than the fflya platform. AirFi continues to test the system with partners and is pushing towards certification and deployment.
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