Thierry Dubois is a freelance writer specializing in helicopters, business aviation and aerospace technology. He earned a degree in fluid dynamics from an engineering school in Toulouse, France in the mid-1990s. At an unexpected crossroads, he found his first job in journalism. In 1997, he started working for French aerospace weekly Air &amp; Cosmos in Paris. This lasted until 2000, when he moved south to Lyons. He then became a freelancer, working for various aerospace publications and has been part of the AIN team since late 2000. In addition to writing about business aviation, Thierry shares responsibility for the rotorcraft section. He also is a regular on-site writer for AIN’s daily editions at international airshows such as the Paris, Farnborough, Dubai and Singapore shows, as well as at EBACE in Geneva.
In 2007, he won the Honeywell award for “Best systems or technology submission” at the Aerospace journalist of the year awards. In 2013, he won an Aerospace Media Award for the "Best Safety, Training &amp; Simulation Submission."
In other activities, Thierry moderates international conferences on aviation technology topics. Thierry is married and has three children, who seem to begin enjoying the mountains–as their parents do.

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Thierry Dubois

Thales has won an order from Singapore Airlines to equip its Airbus A350 XWBs with the electronics company’s Avant in-flight entertainment and Ka-band connectivity system. Thales executives believe their significant presence in Singapore helped in the decision, including its “innovation hub.”

 


Delivery of the cabin equipment, marketed under the InFlyt brand, is scheduled for 2018. Avant is based on the Android operating system, and Thales believes this very open and flexible platform was key in winning the contract from competitor Panasonic. Thales will assist Singapore Airlines in “constantly introducing the newest apps.”

 


Passengers will have access to seamless personal-device integration, USB charging and NFC payment technology. Business-class and economy passengers will enjoy full-HD displays of 17 and 12 inches, respectively. Weight and volume of the hardware have been cut by a claimed 20 percent, compared to the previous generation. Avant is already in service on the A350 with other airlines.

 


Thales (Stand F23) maintains an “innovation hub” in Singapore–its first one in the Eastern hemisphere. Opened in 2014, it uses “design thinking” methods, country director Jean-Noël Stock explained. Everything starts with helping the customer express its need – “it is real maieutics,” Stock said. A brainstorming phase is aimed at having as many ideas as possible emerging. The most promising ones are selected.

 


Then, rapid prototyping–an essential step, Stock emphasized–brings the solution to fruition. It uses a 3D printer or toy building bricks. “It is ‘quick and dirty’ but demonstrates whether the product is usable,” Stock went on. This takes place in a colored room where writing on the walls is allowed and encouraged.

 


A second, “more serious” room, in Stock’s words, makes it possible to “play” scenarios. After listening to user feedback, engineers enter a more conventional phase of design and development. The hub is open to all Thales teams in Singapore, and experts from other sites may be invited.

 


The innovation hub was inaugurated on October 14, 2014. Precisely one year later, Singapore Airlines was telling Thales its IFE product was selected. “We have shown them we could have a very close relationship, and the product can evolve according to their requirements,” Stock said. Another factor may have been the fact that Thales has IFE repair facilities at Singapore’s Changi airport.

 


Thales has another opportunity to grow in Asia thanks to the recommendation the civil aviation authority of China (CAAC) to install head-up displays (HUDs) in commercial aircraft cockpits. With one quarter of their fleets equipped with HUDs in 2015, Chinese airlines are expected to bring that number to 50 percent in 2020 and 100 percent in 2025. The recommendation includes dual HUDs, as both pilots thus have the same information, though compliance is not mandatory. Adding HUD technology should help deal with frequent poor visibility at a number of airports in China. The CAAC is subsidizing domestic airlines to purchase HUDs.

 


Thales is the only HUD supplier on Airbus aircraft and expects a surge in demand for equipping new aircraft and retrofitting others in China. India is predicted to follow suit. Airlines from other parts of the world (especially in the Middle East, according to Daniel Malka, Thales’ general manager for avionics services) are anticipating a requirement for HUDs to fly into China and are therefore ordering the hardware.

News and developments about everything that goes into the cabin of an aircraft, from floor coverings to headliners, with a special emphasis on in-flight entertainment, communications and other electronics for passengers. If it is in the cabin of an aircraft, it’s covered here.

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