Qatar Airways Upgrading IFE and Seats on A330-200 and A320 Aircraft

Qatar Airways is upgrading the Business Class seats and entertainment systems on select Airbus A330-200 and A320 aircraft.

The upgrade – which is part of an on-going customer enhancement project – will feature seats that recline into a true 180-degree lie-flat position.

Modifications to seven A330-200 and nine A320 aircraft have already commenced, and are expected to be completed by the third quarter of 2014.

“Qatar Airways is known for two key features – dynamic growth and a constant focus on top-quality service, where the customer is at the heart of everything we do,” said Mr. Akbar Al Baker, Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer. “I firmly believe in providing our passengers with the best levels of service and the best available in-flight product.”

Business Class seating on both the upgraded A320 and A330 recline into a 180-degree true lie-flat bed, providing superior sleep comfort and greater consistency with the Qatar Airways long-haul wide-body fleet.

The seats also feature six-way adjustable headrests, four-way adjustable lumbar support, a variety of personal stowage compartments, privacy dividers and fresh contemporary styling.

Business Class on both aircraft will feature new 15.4” smart monitors and touch screen remote controller handsets, which also allow dual screen mode. The seats also offer PC Power, USB ports and connectivity for smart devices.

On A330 aircraft, the inflight entertainment system will be upgraded to the Panasonic eX2 platform, providing a richer entertainment experience with a greater amount of programming.

The A330 aircraft will also be fitted with onboard connectivity, with the installation of the Panasonic Global Communications Suite.

Both the A330 and A320 will have the capability of sending and receiving SMS and MMS messages.

On the A330 aircraft, Economy Class seating will also be upgraded to provide greater comfort and more personal space. The new seats will be fitted with new 10.6” monitors and handsets, upgrading the customer experience to Boeing 777 standards.

The enhanced A320 aircraft will operate on the Vienna, Tunis, Milan, Rome, Geneva and Maldives routes while the upgraded A330s will operate on the Barcelona, Osaka, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur and Phuket routes.

Qatar Airways currently flies a fleet of 32 A320s, 16 A330-200s, 13 A330-300s and four A340-600s that are deployed on a variety of routes across the network.