Delta boosts moving map accessibility with FlightPath3D update

Delta Air Lines‘ inflight maps are getting an accessibility overhaul, thanks to FlightPath3D. The airline is the launch customer for the Accessibility Map, a deal announced at APEX EXPO in Long Beach, CA this week.

[W]e must ensure every customer can connect with their journey in a way that enhances their experience and makes them feel valued and cared for on Delta. We are proud to be the first airline to launch this technology, setting the standard for inclusive travel experiences across the industry. – Ekrem Dimbiloglu, Managing Director of Customer Experience – In-Flight Entertainment, Delta Studio and Wi-Fi

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First teased at AIX over the summer, accessibility mode alters the interface, improving the experience for passengers across a range of visual, cognitive, and tactile limitations. Among the adjustments:

• High-Contrast Visuals: Bright colors against dark background or grayscale rendering ensures maximum visibility and reduced eye strain.
• Color Blind Palette: Use of patterns and textures in addition to colors to distinguish different areas and elements on the map.
• Large Text & Icons: All text and iconography is rendered at larger sizes, eliminating the need to squint or strain to make out details.
• Streamlined Information: Clearly labeled map features like countries, borders and major cities are prioritized to reduce clutter and enhance readability.
• Zoom & Pan Controls: Users can zoom in/out and pan around the map view to adjust to their preferred perspective and visual needs, with more prominent controls.

In addition to these features available at launch, the companies plan to add voice narration in 2025. By leveraging FlightPath3D’s AI engine and flight-specific data the map will add an audio option, “reading” updates to passengers about arrival times, points of interest, and more.

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The Accessibility Map was built to meet all Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and European Accessibility Act (EAA) standards, part of FlightPath3D’s mission to create inclusive journeys with maps for every traveler.

Speaking at APEX EXPO in Long Beach, company President Duncan Jackson reiterated the company’s focus, “We are committed to providing a map for every traveler, regardless of ability, age, or the device they use. While there will soon be a legal obligation for airline IFE features to comply with both the Americans with Disabilities Act and European Accessibility Act, we believe there is a deeper moral responsibility to ensure that all passengers have a more accessible journey experience. Launching Accessibility Map is a big step for us to further our goal of empowering every individual and make travel more inclusive for everyone.”

Delta took an extra step, bringing that initial map to its Advisory Board on Disability, in cooperation with FlightPath3D, for hands-on testing and feedback. That review session contributed to fine-tuning of the final design.

“It’s exciting as a visually impaired person to see that Delta is making the flight map more accessible for low vision users,” added Thomas Panek, Chair of Delta’s Advisory Board on Disability and President of Guiding Eyes for the Blind. “By making flight maps more accessible to low vision users, Delta is making the experience better for all passengers.”

As Jackson and Dimbiloglu discussed the product at EXPO it was clear both see it as more than a commercial offering in the market. Dimbiloglu went so far as to say that he does not see his airline’s position as the launch customer as a competitive advantage in the market, but as a demonstration to others of an obligation the industry has to serve its guests in a respectful way, “Delta is not in the business of competing on this. We want to lead in this space, we want to show that this is important to us as an airline. I don’t want to be the only one that has an accessible map; I want the whole industry to have accessible maps. We have a moral imperative to do what we can to make the experience better. It can’t just be about driving dollars and cents. It’s got to be about doing the right thing.”

The moving map is the most popular content on board, with Delta noting 20% of its passengers interact with the map exclusively during flights. Extending that experience to all passengers is a stated goal of FlightPath3D and aligns with Delta’s commitment to accessibility, rooted in its belief that travel is for everyone.

Dimbiloglu shared that more than 170 aircraft have the Accessibility Map active today. The carrier plans to fully deploy the solution on its 165,000 screens across 630 mainline aircraft over the coming month.

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