Qatar Airways Signs Agreement with Thales to Equip A321 NX Fleet with Award Winning FlytEDGE IFE System

• Qatar Airways and Thales have signed an agreement to equip Qatar Airways’ new A321 NX fleet with FlytEDGE, the world’s first cloud-native inflight entertainment platform

• FlytEDGE will elevate the entertainment experience to new heights utilizing cloud computing technologies, open software platform, and unparalleled performance

• Qatar Airways is the first airline to announce the selection of FlytEDGE

New Delhi/France, October 29. Qatar Airways, voted the World’s Best Airline by Skytrax in 2024, and Thales have signed an agreement to equip Qatar Airways’ new A321 NX fleet with FlytEDGE, Thales’ Crystal Cabin® award-winning Inflight Entertainment (IFE) system. Qatar Airways is embarking on a digital transformation journey that can only be delivered by FlytEDGE; the world’s first cloud-native IFEC platform, bringing a new level of personalization and passenger entertainment. Qatar Airways is the first airline to announce their selection of FlytEDGE.

Over the years, Qatar Airways has partnered with Thales as its IFE provider to equip their Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, A350 and A380 aircraft. This new agreement expands the collaboration to the A321 NX fleet, building on the long-standing relationship between the two companies and their shared commitment to deliver a superior passenger experience. FlytEDGE will elevate the entertainment experience to new heights utilizing cloud computing technologies, an open software platform, and unparalleled performance, enabling cutting-edge capabilities such as access to streaming platforms, live personalization, and gaming. The system enables the rapid integration of Qatar Airways’ vast portfolio of group brands, products, and other web-based applications. Thales’ FlytEDGE is powered by the award-winning Onboard Data Center (ODC) with the industry’s first blade architecture and 96TB of storage to enable onboard edge caching and much more.

Thales’ FlytEDGE solution features the best consumer technologies on the market. The system boasts cinematic 4K QLED HDR seatback displays to immerse passengers with over 1 billion vibrant colours and two Bluetooth® connections so passengers can pair their personal wireless devices. The system broadcasts the same user interface onboard for all devices- phones, tablets and seatback screens. With Thales’ Crystal Cabin® award-winning Pulse power management solution delivering high-speed charging at each seat to any passenger device, everyone arrives at their destination recharged, entertained, and relaxed.

Qatar Airways Senior Vice President Product Development, Xia Cai said: “At Qatar Airways, we continue to enhance our world-leading passenger experience, and providing passengers with top-quality inflight entertainment forms a key part of this approach. As our digital transformation journey evolves, we are thrilled to partner with Thales to introduce FlytEDGE onto our entertainment platform. We are confident passengers on our A321 NX fleet will have access to the most innovative consumer technology in the skies.”

Thales Avionics, Executive Vice-President, Yannick Assouad said: “At Thales, we believe that the future of inflight entertainment is limitless. We are harnessing the power of technology to create personalized, interactive, and unforgettable experiences that redefine what it means to travel. Our partnership with Qatar Airways is growing stronger. Together, we’re bringing FlytEDGE’s advanced capabilities to their A321 NX fleet, ensuring passengers have unforgettable journeys.”

About Thales

Thales (Euronext Paris: HO) is a global leader in advanced technologies specialising in three business domains: Defence & Security, Aeronautics & Space and Cybersecurity & Digital identity. It develops products and solutions that help make the world safer, greener and more inclusive. The Group invests close to €4 billion a year in Research & Development, particularly in key innovation areas such as AI, cybersecurity, quantum technologies, cloud technologies and 6G. Thales has close to 81,000 employees in 68 countries. In 2023, the Group generated sales of €18.4 billion.

About Thales in India

Present in India since 1953, Thales is headquartered in Noida and has other operational offices and sites spread across Delhi, Bengaluru and Mumbai, among others. Over 2200 employees are working with Thales and its joint ventures in India. Since the beginning, Thales has been playing an essential role in India’s growth story by sharing its technologies and expertise in Defence, Aerospace and Cybersecurity & Digital Identity markets. Thales has two engineering competence centres in India – one in Noida focused on Cybersecurity & Digital Identity business, while the one in Bengaluru focuses on hardware, software and systems engineering capabilities for both the civil and defence sectors, serving global needs.