• Emirates Airlines first Airbus A350-900 takes flight with the next-generation version of ice inflight entertainment (IFE) system powered by Thales’s AVANT Up, the first in a fleet of 65 new aircraft.
• The system features the best picture quality on any aircraft with stunning 4K HDR ultra-responsive touchscreens for seamless navigation, along with 60W USB-C fast charging for customer devices, and the ability to simultaneously pair two Bluetooth connections.
• The Emirates A350 will introduce a next-generation version of the ‘ice’ IFE system with a suite of groundbreaking features enabled by Thales technologies designed to enhance the customer experience.

Together, Thales and Emirates celebrate the entry into service of the Airline’s first A350-900 aircraft with a flight from Dubai to Edinburgh (Scotland) on January 3, 2025. The aircraft is equipped with Thales’s state-of-the-art AVANT Up inflight entertainment system. Ushering in a new era of inflight entertainment, Emirates has introduced on the A350 the next-generation of the ‘ice’ IFE system with a suite of groundbreaking innovations enabled by Thales technologies designed to enhance the flying experience. The system features over 30 new features with many more to come over the coming months.

Thales’ 4K QLED HDR displays offer a cinematic experience, with the best picture quality on any aircraft and ultra-responsive touchscreens for seamless navigation across ‘ice’ vast catalog of entertainment. The display features two Bluetooth connections for passengers to pair multiple devices and built-in Wi-Fi. The system is equipped with Thales’ award-winning power management solution that supports up to 60W of in-screen charging capacity, ensuring passengers arrive at their destination fully charged.

Unique passenger experiences at every seat

AVANT Up provides a wide range of digital services and applications enabling Emirates to uniquely configure and continually elevate services onboard to tailor a personalized experience for every passenger. Passengers will be able to login at the seat, save preferences, and continue watching their favorites. The IFE system will also be able to curate recommendations based on watch history, share personalized connecting gate information, and much more.

Flying first on Emirates A350

Passengers traveling on the new A350 aircraft will enjoy industry-first event-based live TV with “happening now” content such as sports, news and special events. The system also features a unique Digital Video Recording capability that redefines entertainment in the sky. Beyond live TV, passengers will be able to binge on iceMoments, a new way to enjoy content in a short video format. Using Emirates’ ‘ice’ user interface, passengers can access the smart search engine, a navigation bar with play controls and settings, and a unique pictoral user interface (UI) for kids.

Accessible travel for all

Together, Emirates and Thales introduce an award-winning UI for passengers with vision assistance needs. The UI supports audio-cue navigation assistance, voice metadata feedback, touch and swipe gesture controls, and a large selection of audio-descriptive content to create a more inclusive and accessible travel experience for all.

'Thales is honoured to celebrate alongside Emirates the airline’s first A350 taking flight. We are excited for Emirates passengers to experience the next-generation of in-flight entertainment on ice powered by AVANT Up,” said Niels Steenstrup, Chief Executive Officer, Thales InFlyt Experience. “We are proud to partner with Emirates in their mission to fly better. Together, we accelerate the future of IFE to constantly elevate the benchmark of inflight experience.”