Thales celebrates American Airlines 1st 787-9 aircraft flying with AVANT Up Inflight Entertainment System

• The American Airlines 787-9 takes flight with Thales’ AVANT Up Inflight Entertainment (IFE) system, the first in the carrier’s order of 30 new aircraft.
• The IFE system features the best picture quality on any aircraft, with stunning 4K HDR ultra-responsive touchscreens for seamless navigation, along with 60W USB-C and USB-A fast charging for customer devices, and the ability to pair a Bluetooth device.
• American is the first carrier in the Americas to fly with Thales’ award-winning user interface for passengers with vision assistance needs.

American’s premium Boeing 787-9 aircraft, equipped with Thales’ AVANT Up inflight entertainment (IFE) system, made its debut on its inaugural flight from Chicago O’Hare to Los Angeles followed by its inaugural Flagship Suite® service from Chicago O’Hare to London Heathrow. American Airlines, the first oneworld alliance member to introduce this IFE system, expects a total of 30 of these premium aircraft to join its fleet by 2029.

Premium onboard passenger experience

American has introduced a premium passenger experience for customers travelling on their new aircraft equipped with Thales’ AVANT Up IFE. This is the first premium Boeing 787-9 featuring spectacular 4K QLED HDR displays that deliver a cinematic experience at every seat. Navigating American’s vast catalogue of entertainment options is easy with Thales’ ultra-responsive touchscreens.

Thales’ seatback displays feature a Bluetooth connection for passengers to pair a device. The system is equipped with Thales’ power management solution with USB-C and USB-A fast charging that supports up to 60W of in-screen charging capacity, ensuring passengers’ devices arrive at their destination fully charged.

Unique passenger experiences at every seat

AVANT Up provides a wide range of digital services and applications, enabling American to provide a premium entertainment experience to all customers flying on the new 787-9. Passengers can enjoy more, such as an interactive Watch Party, a Picture-in-Picture viewing experience, and action-packed console gaming.

Accessible travel for all

American is the first carrier in the Americas to fly with Thales’ award-winning user interface for passengers with vision assistance needs. The user interface 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.

“Every aspect of our new 787-9 is designed to feel premium in nature,” said Heather Garboden, American’s Chief Customer Officer. “Everything our customers see on board was designed with customers in mind — from the design details to Bluetooth connectivity and state-of-the-art entertainment.”

“For nearly 15 years, American Airlines has trusted Thales as their inflight entertainment provider. This enduring partnership reflects our shared commitment to create extraordinary inflight experiences, and we are thrilled to power American’s premium travel with the cutting-edge AVANT Up.” Niels Steenstrup, Chief Eexecutive Officer, Thales InFlyt Experience