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| Passenger using IFE system. Photo: Wikimedia |
[Avionics Today 03-25-2016] Research and Markets “Global In-flight Entertainment Market 2016-2020” report forecasts the global IFE market will grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 13 percent over the next five years, but points to issues with regulation and safety.
The report states that development and integration of IFE systems have raised many safety challenges. Voltage leaks and arcing are among the major obstacles owing to miles of in-flight wiring involved. They also conduct rigorous testing for all IFEs followed by detailed documentation. In addition, it is imperative that a particular system is tested with the correct approach and for the appropriate parameters. Although successful tests and trials indicate good productivity and safety, the whole process poses a significant challenge to the market, according to the report.
It is a profitable market, however, as the increase in air passenger traffic and improved technologies has attracted many business opportunities into the IFE market to deliver latest avionics systems. Rockwell Collins developed Paves on-demand IFE systems, which is being used by Airbus. Rockwell Collins expects the system to be installed on 85 new A320 aircraft that will have enhanced capabilities, such as video content streaming through a wireless system and an open-software architecture to support numerous applications and services.