Oman Air Offering Live Satellite TV Onboard Long Haul Fleet
Date: 7 October 2008
Oman Air has selected Rockwell Collins' Tailwind 560 in-flight TV system for its fleet of seven Airbus A330s with delivery starting July 2009. The Tailwind 560 is the only proven and certified multi-region Direct Broadcast Satellite (DBS) airborne TV system available for the air transport market. The system will be available for live viewing both on the ground and at altitude; furthermore its multi-directional antenna will enable a continuous signal from Direct Broadcast Satellites, regardless of the aircraft's location or direction. With this system, Oman Air passengers will have the opportunity to access a selection of live TV programming across multiple regions, at 35,000 feet.
“Our goal is to surpass our passengers' expectations when flying with Oman Air. Entertainment and connectivity to the fast-changing world while flying forms a major element of our commitment to our passengers," said Barry Brown, Vice President Commercial for Oman Air. "The Rockwell Collins Tailwind 560 enables us to provide our passengers with real-time news, movies, and sports television programming. The company is looking at offering our passengers a generous choice of television satellite stations that they will be able to watch on their personal seat-back screens - in addition to the portfolio of movies and audio channels."
"The Tailwind 560 was developed to specifically meet the air transport market's high performance requirements and is unmatched with its multi-region capabilities," said Tommy Dodson, vice president and general manager, Cabin Systems for Rockwell Collins. "We're pleased to be selected by Oman Air for this program, and we look forward to working with them to deliver real-time entertainment to their customers."
Corporate Communications And Media of Oman Air gave notice that Rockwell Collins is a pioneer in the development and deployment of innovative communication and aviation electronic solutions for both commercial and government applications. Until the development of Collins' new antenna technology, satellite reception was difficult to achieve in the region. “This Memorandum of Agreement marks the first step in bringing this innovative technology and service to our passengers. Oman Air is continually innovating its services to provide our passengers with the very best in-flight services and entertainment," they stated.
The Tailwind 560 can be integrated into existing or new in-flight entertainment system. It receives KU-band DBS (Direct broadcast satellite) television signals and provides access to the full spectrum of digital video and audio programming available from DBS satellites. The system takes these signals, automatically decodes them to the correct broadcast format, and then distributes them to the aircraft's onboard IFE (in-flight entertainment) system. With the Tailwind 560, Oman Air passengers can access the most comprehensive selection of live TV programming, whether it is a live football match while flying from London to Muscat, catching the stock market recap while on the way to Mumbai or watching the evening news on a flight from Bangkok.