The business class IFE screen on Qantas's new A330. (Qantas)
Qantas has taken delivery of a new Airbus A330-200 for domestic operations which features new seats and individual in-flight entertainment across all cabins.
The A330, registered VH-EBM and named Tamar Valley, features 36 business and 265 economy seats, which have been designed in collaboration with Marc Newson. The new business seats feature a width of 56cm, cocktail table, ergonomic cushions and extendable leg rest with fold out footrest, while the economy seats are 46cm wide with ergonomic cushioning and a seat base that moves in conjunction with the seat recline. All seats feature a USB port for charging portable electronic devices, as well as audio and video on demand.
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“The on-demand Panasonic eX2 system has over 500 entertainment options including movies, TV programs, a CD library, games, a dedicated children’s section, plus Qantas Lonely Planet Guides as seen on the A380,” said CEO Alan Joyce. “Each seat offers touch screen functionality to enhance interactive capabilities.”
The A330 will go onto service on transcontinental sectors from Melbourne and Sydney to Perth, with a second A330 in the same configuration to arrive in February. The same eX2 product has recently been introduced on services operated by Jetconnect’s new fleet of Boeing 737-800s, and the airline says it will continue to roll out the new inflight entertainment system on all new aircraft entering the domestic network.