March 8th, 2012
Qatar Airways unveiled revolutionary new Business and Economy Class seats for its Boeing 787 aircraft with space, comfort and a revamped in-flight entertainment system being key features at ITB Berlin.
The first of several key service enhancements to be announced over the next few months, Qatar Airways' new 787 seats promise to deliver a whole new passenger travel experience across both cabins with the industry's newest aircraft.
The aircraft will feature a total of 254 seats in a two-class configuration of 22 in Business Class and 232 in Economy.
Every seat throughout the aircraft will be the award-winning touch screen Android technology control units that will debut on Qatar Airways' 787s. Passengers will be able to navigate through a truly interactive system, offering more than 1,000 movie, TV programmes, music and gaming entertainment options in a sophisticated and user friendly way, just like the latest smart phones.
The touch-screen control unit has a unique dual screen interface allowing passengers to play games on their handheld device while enjoying a movie on their personal screen.
Passengers can be fully connected through WIFI and GSM telephony, sending both text and MMS messages. Voice calls, although possible, will be disabled to minimise passenger disruption.
With a 1-2-1 configuration in Business Class, the layout features two less seats than competitors on conventional wide body aircraft, more typical of a First Class cabin where each passenger is assured of direct aisle access. The seats have been designed exclusively for Qatar Airways. Likewise economy class has one less seat than competitor airlines.
The 787 is quieter than other aircraft allowing passengers to work, sleep or relax in peace. With the largest windows in the industry and first-of-its-kind electronic touch pad controls to adjust the amount of light entering the cabin, passengers are able to look outside without glare, replacing conventional blinds. Business Class passengers will exclusively be able to control the large window shades through their personal touch screen control units.
