Air New Zealand Selects Panasonic Avionics Corporation's eXLite IFEC Solution for its B777-200 Refit Program

LONG BEACH, Calif., Sept. 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Air New Zealand will be the first customer for Panasonic Avionics Corporation's (Panasonic) lowest power and lightest weight in-flight entertainment and communications (IFEC) system ever – eXLite.

Air New Zealand CEO, Rob Fyfe says, "Following a thorough review of all solutions available in the market for our 777-200s, we challenged Panasonic to come up with a lighter, more cost effective version of our current system. Paul Margis and team developed an innovative solution that took the weight out of the system to help reduce drag and ultimately fuel costs. With eXLite, Air New Zealand will continue to offer state-of-the art entertainment to our passengers without compromising space, energy and experience. We're thrilled to be the first customer of Panasonic's eXLite product."

"We are very excited to partner with Air New Zealand to launch our new eXLite solution," said Paul Margis, Chief Executive Officer for Panasonic Avionics Corporation. "eXLite is a lighter, easier to install IFEC solution with an compromising passenger experience from a vendor with global support and a long term stake in this industry. We are proud to have worked so closely with Air New Zealand to align their business needs to our new eXLite solution."

eXLite, is designed to deliver the highest quality experience for passengers, and is Panasonic's lowest power and lightest weight IFEC solution ever.  It leverages Panasonic's Eco series monitors, which enable an elegant industrial design, seamless interior integration, capacitive touch, proximity sensors, incredible viewing angles, and next-generation processors.  It also has a streamlined architecture that reduces weight and cost.  Depending on the configuration, the system can weigh as little as 3.2 pounds per passenger seat.  Like all Panasonic X Series solutions, eXLite features a flexible architecture that lets airlines customize the passenger experience by cabin class.  

About Air New Zealand

Air New Zealand delivers uniquely Kiwi journeys to more than 13 million passengers who fly to, from and within New Zealand each year. The airline operates more than 4000 flights each week, connecting customers to 27 destinations within New Zealand and to Australia, the Pacific Islands, China, Japan, Canada, USA and the United Kingdom.

Air New Zealand is one of the world's leading airlines and is the only airline to have received the prestigious Air Transport World Airline of the Year awards twice within three years (2010, 2012), an award considered the Oscar of the airline industry.

Recent Air New Zealand innovations have included the revolutionary new economy Skycouch giving everyone the chance to lie down no matter what class of travel, the end of the check-in queue for domestic passengers thanks to a raft of new technologies, the world's first in-flight International Airline Concierge service and marketing and PR campaigns that get the world talking.

Air New Zealand's aim is to become the world's most environmentally sustainable airline and has a wide range of green initiatives in place to reduce aircraft emissions which now total more than 142,000 tonnes of CO2 saved each year, equating to 57 million litres of aviation fuel.

About Panasonic Avionics Corporation

Panasonic Avionics Corporation is the world's leading supplier of in-flight entertainment and communication systems.  The company's best-in-class solutions, supported by professional maintenance services, fully integrate with the cabin enabling airlines to deliver the ultimate travel experiences with a rich variety of entertainment choices, resulting in improved quality communication systems and solutions, and lower overall costs.

Established in 1979, Panasonic Avionics Corporation, a U.S. corporation, is a subsidiary of Panasonic Corporation of North America, the principal North American subsidiary of Panasonic Corporation (NYSE: PC).  Headquartered in Lake Forest, California with over 2,600 employees and operations in 50 locations worldwide, it serves over 200 customers worldwide and provides IFEC systems on over 3,700 aircraft.  For additional information, please visit www.panasonic.aero.

SOURCE Panasonic Avionics Corporation