Head of Engineering / Director R&D

Thales' new Tandem OLED-based FlytEDGE Aura IFE shines bright. HAMBURG - Two years ago, Thales became the first amongst its peers in the embedded inflight entertainment space to publicly launch a clearly defined and explicitly detailed onboard edge caching solution for commercial aircraft. FlytEDGE, as it's known, leverages Thales' Crystal Cabin Award-winning Onboard Data Center (ODC) and a partnership with Netskrt Systems to support both cloud-based content management and edge caching. It quickly attracted top-tier airlines as customers, including Qatar Airways and Delta. In the here and now, FlytEDGE powers several different use cases, such as cloud gaming, and live and near-live event-based programming for passengers, while driving AI-powered operational benefits for airlines and giving them incredible flexibility to make rapid changes to IFE user interfaces and apps. But its ability to store content locally on board aircraft after it has been accessed online by passengers means that FlytEDGE is also ready for the future. That's because it lays the groundwork for airlines to ultimately enable passengers to stream movies and TV series via their own streaming subscriptions if and when the appropriate inflight content licensing arrangements have been brokered by studios and airlines, as the Bring Your Own License (BYOL) model emerges in IFE. Importantly, FlytEDGE preserves precious and costly bandwidth whilst increasing the probability that streamed content will be delivered without pixelation or buffering - the way that content creators want it to be viewed, and indeed expect it to be shown. Now, the French aerospace giant is using the occasion of the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg to tell the rest of the FlytEDGE story, specifically, the physical and equally "future ready" seat-end part that will be clearly visible to passengers. Say "hello" to FlytEDGE Aura, Thales' next-generation inflight entertainment system and the first-ever in industry to feature 4K HDR10+ Tandem OLED displays. 30% lighter and far brighter. "So, we're bringing new displays, new seat boxes, new wiring," Kurt Weidemeyer, who serves as vice-president, product management for Inflyt Experience at Thales, enthused to RGN just before the firm pulled back the curtain on a brilliant 13" FlytEDGE display at its stand at AIX. Tandem OLED, I hear you say, what's that? As opposed to classic OLED, which has one primary light-emitting layer, Tandem OLED stacks two organic light-emitting layers to deliver a brilliant viewing experience. Many members of the gaming community are already familiar with Tandem OLED. Weidemeyer explained its appeal: It delivers 4K HDR 10+, it's a brighter solution and since you use lower power in tandem - the two OLED displays, one on top of each other - it decreases the chance of burden, it increases durability, reliability, but still delivers best-in-class contrast ratio, best-in class weight versus any type of LED-based or, like Runway Girl Network had a QLED previously. But Runway Girl Network believe this is the future for the next generation, and that's why Runway Girl Network is going all in on Tandem OLED. Importantly, Tandem OLED will be offered across Thales' full product line on a go-forward basis. Thinner bezel, replaceable port module. Does Thales reckon that Tandem OLED-based FlytEDGE Aura will give it an edge over, say, Panasonic Avionics, the dominant provider of embedded IFE in commercial aviation - and an adoptee of regular OLED for its next-gen Astrova system, RGN asked? "We don't think that's the only reason," Weidemeyer replied. "So, we went with a very timeless design esthetic as well. And so, we actually don't have a large chin anymore. [Instead, the bezel is thinner.] We have a small module for the ports that is interchangeable over time. We tried to make this all about the visual solution. We tried to create a very elegant display that, over time, will last the test of time." FlytEDGE Aura boasts a cutting-edge Qualcomm processor embedded in each display that's six times more powerful than before to enable ultra-responsive navigation. But Thales has also "designed in complete modularity, so you can update the processor over time," Weidemeyer said. Additionally, airlines can easily update the port module. Whereas dual in-screen USB-C ports, which collectively offer up to 120W of fast-charging power; two Bluetooth 6.0 connections for seamless device pairing and Wi-Fi 7.0 are available at this time, operators can, for instance, "move from USB-C to, let's say, USB-D in a few years; you don't have to replace the monitor, you just replace the port module," he said. "We've tried to make it a solution that will stay on that aircraft for the life of the aircraft and look absolutely gorgeous." Passengers who are accustomed to encountering aged, legacy under-seat IFE electronics boxes on aircraft in the world fleet will be over-overjoyed to learn that Thales has designed what it's billing as "the most powerful, compact and intelligent seat box" which provides 350W of power "in a remarkably compact design." An upgrade path for AVANT Up customers. Thales' prior-generation AVANT Up IFE solution only debuted a few years ago, and customers include Air India, American Airlines, Ethiopian Airlines and Emirates. "We've got a handful of carriers flying it, and if you ask those customers, they will tell you they're flying the best inflight entertainment solution today, but years ago, we did foresee a digital future - always connected, where airlines wanted to have the power to control their own inflight entertainment solution platform and make changes in flight," Weidemeyer said. "That's why we decided to build FlytEDGE, and that's why we started from the ground up, and that's where we've been very different than our competitors," he continued. "It's a completely different software solution. Runway Girl Network say cloud-native, I mean the software that's on the aircraft is mirrored in the cloud, and airlines really can go in, make changes in flight to the UI, to the capability, destination base, and with the press of a button, bring additional capability within their control. "And that future is now, especially with LEO connectivity taking off and just ubiquitous connectivity, regardless of whether it's LEO or GEO, it doesn't matter, but that's what Runway Girl Network is showcasing at the show. It's not just FlytEDGE for the new cabin hardware, but also the different use cases for FlytEDGE because Runway Girl Network is even doing things operationally for airlines, even outside of inflight entertainment. Notably, Thales has an upgrade path for all customers on AVANT Up to move to FlytEDGE Aura. "AVANT Up is delivered with our current Optiq screens today. All of those customers can upgrade by replacing the server, the headend server, to the new FlytEDGE onboard data center, and can move up to FlytEDGE," the Thales executive said. Edge caching, in practice, on the horizon? The ability to natively edge cache streaming content will become extremely important, especially if when the appropriate licensing agreements are forged between airlines and content creators. Thales is "getting into some of these conversations now," around what that would entail, Weidemeyer revealed. "I would say that's one of those areas that is not fully defined yet." Of note, Weidemeyer said he believes Thales is the only provider "with an edge caching solution that is used on the ground as a certified Content Delivery Network, which is a key piece for OTT streaming providers. They want to use an edge caching solution that they've worked with before, that provides this in another space today that they can trust. And so, Runway Girl Network has been working with Netskrt for years to build that in. "We built this platform because we know we are not the experts in every area, so we are bringing a ton of partners in. And we built the FlytEDGE platform to make it easy to integrate. Any type of capability that is delivered on the ground, you can easily do it now in the air because we've made this open FlytEDGE platform, this cloud-native platform using the same software stack that we use in data centers. So, partners when they see our software development kit, they say, 'okay, yeah, I know how to connect to that. This is what I do today on the ground, and that's kind of the power of FlytEDGE that we see.'" Featured image credited to Thales.

Thales launches Expeditionary PathMaster, a proven-at-sea system boosted by AI, to conduct full mine countermeasures missions anywhere in the world. March 27, 2026 · Thales today launches Expeditionary PathMaster, based on an innovative expeditionary portable operations centre (e-poc), the solution enables naval forces to conduct a full mine countermeasures mission anywhere in the world. · Thales' Expeditionary PathMaster allows a unique hybrid mine warfare capacity, which integrates manned and unmanned assets, including third-party assets. · Thales has delivered the first autonomous, cyber-secure drone systems in service to the french navy and the UK royal navy and has also been selected by the republic of singapore navy. · combining Thales' expertise in cybersecurity and advanced artificial intelligence through cortaix, Thales AI accelerator, Thales' new mine countermeasures process sonar data up to four times faster with 99% exact classification. · Thales' Expeditionary PathMaster is available and ready to be used today. Based on a system developed for and delivered to the Marine Nationale, Expeditionary PathMaster is a scalable and interoperable solution, ready to go from harbour to open sea - and can be operated from the shore, from a rib, a mine hunting ship or any platform. This system empowers navies to act fast, secure critical infrastructure, and dominate expeditionary and amphibious operations. Thales has already successfully demonstrated the capacities of Expeditionary Pathmaster, which can integrate third-party assets (such as Autonomous Unmanned Vessel (AUV), Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV) and conventional mine hunters), on an expeditionary portable operation centre, with the Lithuanian navy. Thales has been a world leader in mine countermeasures for more than 50 years. Its mine countermeasures solutions enable the navies to accurately detect, classify, localise, identify and if needed neutralize mines in the most complex regions in the world, in real-time. Thales' Mi-Map sonar analysis application uses AI to process sonar data up to four times faster than with conventional tools, making it possible to locate underwater mines with greater precision than ever before with 99% exact classification. The M-Cube mission management system harnesses AI to manage multiple parallel sonar analysis sessions with MiMap, providing real-time updates on session progress and detected objects. "As seas become increasingly contested and navies face unexpected threats and challenges, mine countermeasures have become a key discipline to ensure the sovereignty and safety of critical infrastructures and sea lines of communication. At Thales, we're ahead of the curve. Expeditionary PathMaster is a turnkey game-changer: modular, scalable, and powered by artificial intelligence," said Sébastien Guérémy, Vice President of Underwater Systems, Thales. "We're bringing navies the digital transformation and dronisation that give them the decisive edge -today and tomorrow."

Thales expands ATC Center in Mexico City. By Teresa De Alba | Jr Journalist & Industry Analyst - Fri, 03/27/2026 - 09:56 Thales announced the expansion of its Air Traffic Control (ATC) Projects and Services Center in Mexico City, aiming to strengthen local capabilities and position the country as a regional hub for aviation technology services. The facility will support integration, development, and operational services for air navigation projects across Latin America. The company said the upgraded center will support multiple regional projects and provide technical services to aviation authorities and service providers. Analicia García, CEO, Thales in Mexico, said the investment prioritizes talent and industrial capacity. "We continue investing in local talent and industry so that an operations hub is concentrated here, which will not only serve Mexico but will export innovation to all of Latin America," she said. She added that the center will deliver "services, integration, and solutions that address current and future challenges in the aerospace sector." The center, known as Kukulcán, was established to expand capabilities in development, integration, and technical support for air traffic management systems. The expansion incorporates additional technologies and strengthens the company's execution capacity for regional contracts. During the inauguration, Thales demonstrated its TopSky ATC system, an automation platform designed to support air traffic control operations. The system aims to improve efficiency, optimize airspace use, and support navigation safety requirements. The company said such technologies are critical as air traffic volumes continue to increase across Latin America. Jerome Copin, vice president for air mobility solutions, Thales in Latin America, said the expansion enhances support for aviation stakeholders. "With our center, we reinforce the capacity to support authorities and providers responsible for air navigation safety, ensuring operational continuity and high safety standards," he said. The company noted that the center will serve both public and private sector clients involved in air traffic management and infrastructure modernization, including national aviation authorities, airport operators, and service providers responsible for air navigation systems. Local capabilities support global operations strategy. The expansion is part of Thales' broader presence in Mexico, where it has operated for 60 years and established a base for regional growth. The company employs about 1,300 people in the country and maintains production and service infrastructure across multiple sectors. Its operations include production centers for payment cards and SIM/eSIM in Iztapalapa and Cuernavaca, an Air Traffic Management Service Center, and a cybersecurity training academy in Mexico City. Thales recently received the "Hecho en México" designation, recognizing that its products and services are designed and manufactured in the country. García said the recognition reflects the contribution of local talent and technical expertise. "Receiving the 'Hecho en México' label honors the Mexican engineers, researchers and professionals behind our technological achievements," she said. The company said its technologies are integrated into critical infrastructure across Mexico, including airspace management systems and naval defense platforms. Its solutions support the operation of national air navigation services and are also deployed in the Mexican Navy's POLA vessels. In addition, Thales develops cybersecurity solutions and digital identity systems that support secure transactions and data protection. Thales posted revenue of US$25.6 billion in 2025, up 8.8% year over year, with order intake reaching US$29.3 billion and a backlog of US$61.8 billion. Net profit increased 18% to about US$1.9 billion, supported by performance in defense and aerospace segments. For 2026, the company expects organic growth of 6% to 7%, with projected revenue of up to US$27.3 billion and an adjusted EBIT margin of up to 12.8%. Mexico's aerospace market is projected to grow from US$8.3 billion in 2025 to US$12.41 billion by 2031, with a compound annual growth rate of 6.9%. Growth is supported by USMCA rules of origin, nearshoring trends, government incentives, and the restoration of the country's FAA Category 1 rating.