Gulf Air is launch customer for embedded seatback hand held IFE sets

The programme worked in partnership between manufacturer DigEcor and the Bahraini national carrier has now opened the way for the IFE company to develop the seatback unit for other airlines.

The digEplayer L7 is   now available inflight as a semi-embedded IFE offering on a   Gulf Air 737-700 flying from Bahrain to Milan and Geneva. Every passenger in economy class is now able to enjoy all of the same content normally available only on Gulf Air's existing handhelds.

“As many may know, we have had an interest for some time in adapting and certifying our proprietary handheld system as a seat back solution. We appreciate the partnership with Gulf Air that has allowed us to realize that goal,” said digEcor President Brad Heckel. “This important milestone is the first step as we develop a robust seat back option that will address the needs of many airlines today.”

EASA certified, the embedded L7 uses in-seat power, features a PA interrupt, and is seat centric as all content is stored locally on the device. Currently, the system mainly consists of the L7; though with other projects in the works, digEcor plans to continue development on the project and will roll out new features and functionality in the coming months.

digEcor CEO Brent Wood said, “ Gulf Air has been flying the L7 as a portable for several months and now has embedded the player. More planes will follow this conversion and L10 (ten inch) players are also being prepared for other planes and premium passengers. This allows an airline to purchase an L series portable player and then at any time in the future, embed that player into the back of the seat. This protects the initial investment in a portable player as it becomes a 'Mix and Match' device for the airlines.”

Samer Majali, the Gulf Air chief executive said the embedding of L7 players had “ raised the passenger inflight entertainment to the next level as we introduce the major revamp to our onboard entertainment in coming months.”