AirFi has developed the Corendon Café digital portal, which aims to boost ancillary revenues by allowing passengers to have products delivered directly to their seats on demand.

Corendon Dutch Airlines partners AirFi to enable in-seat ordering

By Rick Lundstrom
Corendon Dutch Airlines operates a fleet of three 737-800s
Charter carrier Corendon Dutch Airlines is giving passengers the ability to order snacks or duty free onboard from its Corendon Café digital portal and have it delivered directly to their seat during the flight. Working with cabin technology and inflight entertainment (IFE) partner AirFi , is the airline’s latest step toward enhancing the passenger experience, reducing waste, and optimizing ancillary revenue opportunities. The launch of the new in-seat ordering service across the Dutch leisure airline’s fleet of three 737-800 aircraft follows a successful trial and will complement its existing trolley service. Passengers connect to Corendon’s streaming IFE and shopping platform (powered by AirFi) using their own mobile devices by selecting the appropriate Wi-Fi network onboard. They can then fill shopping baskets with their chosen items and place their order. Crew are notified of the order on their tablets, marking the request “in progress” or “complete” for other crew members to see. Passengers can track order status via messaging on the wireless IFE platform, streamed over Wi-Fi to their personal electronic device. When the order is ready, a crew member will deliver the purchases to the passenger’s seat, at which time payment is taken. As a cashless airline, Corendon accepts all major debit and credit cards. "Since COVID-19 began, passengers have been asked not to walk about the cabin, and since childhood, most of us were taught not to press the flight attendant call button unless absolutely necessary,” said Gert-Jan de Vries, Manager of Cabin Crew and Inflight Sales at Corendon Dutch Airlines in today’s announcement. “This is very courteous, but not ideal if the passenger really would like to buy some duty free or have a refreshment. With AirFi’s in-seat ordering, we provide a more discreet way for our guests to request what they want, when they want it. The result is that our guests are more content during the flight, and as an airline we earn additional revenue that might have otherwise been lost.”
A number of features makes the ordering system easy for Corendon cabin crew
The Corendon Café is fully integrated with AirFi’s ePOS (point of sale solution) and IFE system, which manages backend admin on the inflight sales. The in-seat ordering service is fully controlled by the crew who, once IFE streaming system has been turned on, will perform a traditional trolley service. They will then activate the new ordering feature, thus allowing passengers to purchase extra snacks and drinks, and importantly, extending the opening hours of the onboard shop. This additional time to make purchases is critical as aviation recovers financially from the COVID-19 pandemic. Airlines everywhere are increasingly contingent on ancillary revenue to improve margins. Corendon offers snacks, drinks (hot and cold), as well as warm meals like soup and pizza, and regional favorite such as stroopwafels and broodje kroket: a popular Dutch sandwich consisting of a deep-fried kroket inside a soft bread roll or a bun. Passengers connect to Corendon’s streaming IFE and shopping platform using their own mobile devices by selecting the appropriate Wi-Fi network onboard. They can then fill shopping baskets with their chosen items and place their order. Crew are also able to monitor stock levels through the staff-facing side of the new system, marking products as ‘out of stock’ when they become unavailable. The airline is currently trialing optimized loading using data from its AirFi’s ePOS solution to help drive down operational costs without compromising sales opportunities. “Corendon has been a partner of AirFi for many years and we’re incredibly excited to announce that they’re the first European airline to adopt our ground-breaking in-seat ordering capabilities,” said Job Heimerikx, AirFi CEO. “By offering hybrid service that begins with the traditional trolley service then switches to in-seat ordering, Corendon is truly maximizing the potential of its onboard retail program.”

Dutch charter launches in-seat ordering

This is a special feature from PAX Tech’s September 2021 AIX Virtual digital edition. AirFi estimates that more than 2,200 aircraft are now flying with portable IFE like the company’s Venus and Moon boxes
When Job Heimerikx, Co-Founder and CEO of portable IFE provider AirFi used to visit British Airways, he would pass through the gates at Heathrow Airport and see a sign with bold lettering stating: Safety is our first priority. With that kind of commitment, the Netherlands-based has worked with its broad customer base over the years to make its products easy to use and safe in all situations. The European Union Aviation Safety Administration (EASA) this spring published a memorandum airing its concern over the charging practices of PEDs and portable IFE that are oftentimes stored permanently into aircraft and charged with aircraft power supply. The April Memorandum states the use of areas designed to hold PEDs (including portable IFE hardware) during their battery recharge process may increase the risk of fire from the lithium batteries. In the Memorandum, EASA has reclassified any charging station in an aircraft stowage compartment as a “major modification.” The Administration’s concern is that lithium batteries charged out of the sight of cabin crew could overheat and go undetected. Though not a binding rule at this time, the EASA concern addresses issues in an increasingly crowded field of dozens of suppliers. Heimerikx estimates that more than 2,200 aircraft are now flying with portable IFE systems that allow passengers to access entertainment and connectivity through their personal electronic devices. AirFi has been supplying airlines with its line that has grown to three products. The Venus Box, the Moon Box and the soon to be released Mars Box that will interface with LEO, its low-bandwidth connectivity solution. Since the company was formed in 2011, it now supplies products to 76 customers in 31 countries pre-COVID. Job Heimerikx, Co-Founder and CEO of AirFi
AirFi is staying ahead of EASA and other regulators’ concerns with its Fully Automated Semi-Embedded (FASE) solution that gets its charge from power sources within the aircraft. The solution was launched in 2018 on Sun Country Airlines. AirFi has now updated the software logic that governs the autonomous operation to also control battery charging. It uses the same sensors that FASE was already using to know when to turn on/off and when to connect to cellular networks for updates
Sensors within the product can determine when an aircraft has wheels on the ground, and it is most safe to charge the batteries. With a system like AirFi’s Heimerikx says that the process of charging portable IFE batteries (which can hold a charge up to two days) is out of the hands of cabin crew, which is one of the company’s main goals for maintaining optimum safety. “It is very important as part of the ‘never question safety’ to take the human variable of the crew out of the equation.” he says. “That's our company perspective on this on this issue.”
For now, the April Memorandum serves as guidance material. However, Sander van Lochem, Avionics Specialist at ADSE Consulting and Engineering addressed its future application on the AirFi website. “EASA Certification Memoranda are living documents into which either additional criteria or additional issues can be incorporated as soon as a need is identified by EASA,” said van Lochem. “All CM are reviewed periodically (no later than two years after its publication), to ensure its currency with the regulatory material.”

Automating portables with AirFi

By Rick Lundstrom
Job Heimerikx, co-Founder and CEO of AirFi
When Job Heimerikx, co-Founder and CEO of portable IFE provider AirFi used to visit British Airways, he would pass through the gates at Heathrow Airport and see a sign with bold lettering stating: Safety is our first priority. With that kind of commitment, the Netherlands-based has worked with a broad customer base over the years to make its products easy to use and safe in all situations. The European Union Aviation Safety Administration (EASA) this spring published a memorandum airing its concern over the charging practices of PEDs and portable IFE that are oftentimes stored permanently into aircraft and charged with aircraft power supply. The April Memorandum states the use of areas designed to hold PEDs (including portable IFE hardware) during their battery recharge process may increase the risk of fire from the lithium batteries. In the Memorandum, EASA has reclassified any charging station in an aircraft stowage compartment as a “major modification.” The Administration’s concern is that lithium batteries charged out of the sight of cabin crew could overheat and go undetected. Though not a binding rule at this time, the EASA concern addresses issues in an increasingly crowded field of dozens of suppliers. Heimerikx estimates that more than 2,200 aircraft are now flying with portable IFE systems that allow passengers to access entertainment and connectivity through their personal electronic devices. AirFi has been supplying airlines with its line that has grown to three products. The Venus Box, the Moon Box and the soon to be released Mars Box that will interface with LEO, its low-bandwidth connectivity solution. Since the company was formed in 2011, it now supplies products to 76 customers in 31 countries pre-COVID. AirFi is staying ahead of EASA and other regulators’ concerns with its Fully Automated Semi-Embedded (FASE) solution that gets its charge from power sources within the aircraft. The solution was launched in 2018 on Sun Country Airlines. AirFi has now updated the software logic that governs the autonomous operation to also control battery charging. It uses the same sensors that FASE was already using to know when to turn on/off and when to connect to cellular networks for updates
Sensors within the product can determine when an aircraft has wheels on the ground, and it is most safe to charge the batteries. With a system like AirFi’s Heimerikx says that the process of charging portable IFE  batteries (which can hold a charge up to two days) is out of the hands of cabin crew, which is one of the company’s main goals for maintaining optimum safety. “It is very important as part of the ‘never question safety’ to take the human variable of the crew out of the equation.” he says. “That's our company perspective on this on this issue.”
For now, the April Memorandum serves as guidance material. However, Sander van Lochem, Avionics Specialist at ADSE Consulting and Engineering addressed its future application on the AirFi website. “EASA Certification Memoranda are living documents into which either additional criteria or additional issues can be incorporated as soon as a need is identified by EASA,” said van Lochem. “All CM are reviewed periodically (no later than two years after its publication), to ensure its currency with the regulatory material.”

​AirFi develops solutions as EASA eyes portable IFE charging practices

AirFi CEO Job Heimerikx with a TUI Netherlands aircraft featuring an AirFi decal. Image via AirFi
To celebrate the 40th anniversary of APEX EXPO this year, we’re looking back at APEX members’ most significant achievements . Today, we review how AirFi demonstrated the potential of portable wireless in-flight entertainment with the creation of its AirFi box five years ago. According to Job Heimerikx, co-founder and CEO of AirFi, the idea for a portable wireless in-flight entertainment solution – which would become known as the Moon AirFi box – came as the result of another product his company, MI Airline, created for the airline industry back in 2010. “We came up with an electronic point of sale (POS) solution – Connected Crew – and sold our first system to Arkefly. It worked really well and has gone on to become the world’s second-most deployed cabin mobile POS system, but we initially suffered performance issues using Bluetooth. We added a simple walk-on Wi-Fi hotspot, and that’s where the idea for the Moon AirFi box was born.”
The Moon box was introduced to the in-flight entertainment market in 2014 and within 12 months had secured multiple contracts with airlines including Estonian Air and Transavia . By the end of 2015, 100 boxes had been deployed. In April 2016, the company introduced the Venus AirFi box , which included a moving map for passengers, as well as an ergonomic hand grip for the airline staff moving the boxes around! The Venus AirFi box
Today, following countless partnerships with varying entertainment brands from Mashable to Dance24,  and the arrival of an aircraft-powered variant , AirFi’s portable wireless in-flight entertainment solution is now flying with 47 airlines. The company is currently introducing an in-flight connectivity (IFC) component to its offering, having announced plans to launch its AirFi LEO solution with Atlantic Airways in October 2018. Heimerikx said, “Where our simple ultra-lightweight system has replaced much heavier, fuel-inefficient installed systems, it’s also nice to know we’ve helped save the planet a little bit!”

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