Airline

Ken Gile and Dan Kerrison – flydubai

Posted on 25.11.11

The Dubai based low cost carrier, flydubai, definitely raised the competitive bar when it announced the installation of the Lumexis “fibre to the seat” inflight entertainment system on all new 737 aircraft starting November 2010. Once each new plane is handed over by Boeing, the seats and screens are installed by a team of engineers working around the clock at an airfield near Seattle. Twelve months on from the launch, how have passengers responded to the availability of inflight entertainment and, more importantly, are they prepared to pay for content? Two gentlemen from flydubai with all the answers are Captain Ken Gile and Dan Kerrison.

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Mohamad El Assaad – Senior Manager, IFE, Gulf Air

Posted on 23.09.11

This week sees the inaugural flight of the first aircraft to feature Panasonic’s new Global Communications Suite, eXConnect.

Gulf Air is the launch customer and, in this exclusive PME Interview, Mohamad El Assaad, Senior Manager, IFE and Communications, reveals the airline’s new Skyhub product.

If you’re an airline thinking about upgrading your in-flight connectivity and communications you won’t want to miss it!

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Tagged with: aircraft • airlines • connectivity • entertainment • eXConnect • Global Communications Suite • Gulf Air • IFE • in-flight • Mohamad El Assaad • Panasonic • Skyhub

Karen Schipper – Former El Al IFE Manager and Past WAEA President

Posted on 20.05.11

For many years, the larger than life figure of Karen Schipper was a familiar face at WAEA events such as the annual conference and the TV Market. Karen worked for El Al Israel Airlines for an amazing 35 years, many of those as Manager for In-flight Entertainment. She also helped to shape the future direction of the WAEA when, in 2000, she served for a year as President. She eventually chose to retire after a serious health scare but these days is in good shape and is in regular contact with many of her former colleagues in the industry. In the latest PME Interview, Karen talks with Steve Harvey about her years at El Al and her term as President.

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Tagged with: El Al Israel Airlines • entertainment • IFE • in-flight • Karen Schipper • WAEA

Albert de Wet – Manager: IFE, Etihad Airways

Posted on 11.05.11

Our guest today on the PME Interview heads up the IFE department of one of the world’s fastest growing airlines. Formerly with South African Airways, Albert de Wet moved to Abu Dhabi in 2005 to join Etihad Airways. Steve Harvey talks to Albert about his reasons for making the move and the strategy for in-flight entertainment at Etihad…

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Tagged with: Abu Dhabi • Albert de Wet • entertainment • Etihad Airways • IFE • in-flight • South African Airways

Tal Kalderon – In-flight Entertainment Manager, El Al Israel Airlines

Posted on 24.02.11

Many IFE managers in our industry started with an airline background and, when appointed to the position, had to learn about the entertainment business. Our guest today came from a television background and had to spend his first few months researching the airline industry. Tal Kalderon is In-flight Entertainment Manager at El Al Israel Airlines and on the PME Interview he talks to Steve Harvey about some of the challenges he faced when he first started in the job nearly five years ago.

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Tagged with: airlines • El Al • entertainment • IFE • in-flight • Israel • Tal Kalderon

Linda Celestino – General Manager Inflight Services, Oman Air

Posted on 09.01.11

Can you name the carrier that features full in-flight connectivity, including the use of mobile phones, on all long haul flights? The answer, Oman Air, may come as a surprise. Yet delve a little deeper and there are all sorts of pleasant surprises awaiting passengers flying between Muscat and Europe. In this week’s PME Interview, Linda Celestino, General Manager Inflight Services at Oman Air, talks to Steve Harvey about how the new in-flight service has been received by passengers.

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Tagged with: carrier • connectivity • Europe • IFE • in-flight • Inflight Services • Linda Celestino • long haul flights • mobile phones • Muscat • Oman Air

Elif Ergezen – Cabin and IFE Manager, Turkish Airlines

Posted on 09.12.10

There are some exciting things happening these days at Turkish Airlines. A multi-million dollar advertising campaign starring Kevin Costner, a sponsorship deal with Manchester United, orders with Airbus and Boeing for 60 new aircraft, new sleek cabin interiors, a four star rating from Skytrax and the introduction of on-board connectivity. Seems like an opportune time to catch up with Elif Ergezen, Cabin and IFE Manager at Turkish Airlines.

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Tagged with: Airbus • airlines • Boeing • connectivity • Elif Ergezen • IFE • Kevin Costner • Manchester United • Skytrax • Turkish Airlines

Kevin Bremer – Manager of Boeing Cabin Systems Technology Center

Posted on 20.08.10

On 7th August 2007 (07/08/07) Boeing unveiled the brand new B787 Dreamliner to the world’s press. The much delayed aircraft is now scheduled to enter commercial service with ANA in January 2011. Steve Harvey talks to Kevin Bremer, Manager of the Cabin Systems Technology Center at Boeing about the development issues with the Dreamliner and the much improved morale at Boeing now the aircraft is finally about to enter service. Bremer also discusses his role involving liaison and interface with IFE equipment suppliers to Boeing.

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Tagged with: aircraft • ANA • B787 • Boeing • Cabin Systems Technology Center • commercial service • Dreamliner • IFE • Kevin Bremer

Christine Zhu – In-flight Entertainment Manager, Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd.

Posted on 12.08.10

Cathay Pacific has an enviable reputation for great in-flight entertainment. It’s a member of the elite ‘1,000 IFE Club’, airlines that offer their passengers more than 1,000 choices of in-flight entertainment. Now with a new order for an additional fifteen B777-300ER aircraft, in-flight connectivity is very much on the agenda. Christine Zhu is In-flight Entertainment Manager for Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd., and she joins host Steve Harvey to discuss what’s happening at Cathay Pacific.

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Tagged with: 1000 IFE Club • airlines • B777 • Boeing • Cathay Pacific • choices • Christine Zhu • connectivity • ICE • IFE • in-flight • Inflight Communications and Entertainment • passengers

Trudy Storey – Program Manager, Qantas

Posted on 08.07.10

As a predominantly long haul carrier, Qantas places a very high priority on the provision of top quality in-flight entertainment. There is a full in-house team working alongside a number of well known service providers to ensure that this priority is met. In this latest PME Interview, Steve Harvey talks to Trudy Storey, Program Manager at Qantas, about how they go about providing in-flight entertainment ‘down under style’.

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Tagged with: airlines • Australia • entertainment • in-flight • long haul carrier • Program Manager • Qantas • Trudy Storey