Qatar Airways Taps Thales for Next-Generation Inflight Entertainment and Local Maintenance Center

Qatar Airways Taps Thales for Next-Generation Inflight Entertainment and Local Maintenance Center @Thales

(IN BRIEF) Thales and Qatar Airways have formalized a Memorandum of Agreement to support the airline’s recent fleet growth plan by delivering advanced inflight entertainment (IFE) innovations. The agreement includes creating a state-of-the-art IFE service and maintenance center in Doha to accelerate repairs, provide spare parts, and offer technical support for Thales equipment across Qatar’s expanding fleet. Building on years of partnership—covering Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners and Airbus A350/A380 aircraft—Thales will also equip the new A321 NXs with its FlytEDGE cloud-native IFE platform. This collaboration, in harmony with Qatar Vision 2030, aims to drive technological leadership, expand local MRO capabilities, and generate skilled jobs in Qatar.

(PRESS RELEASE) LA DÉFENSE, 23-Jun-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — Thales, the global innovator in defense, aerospace, cybersecurity, and digital solutions, has joined forces with Qatar Airways—recently crowned Skytrax’s 2025 “World’s Best Airline”—through a new Memorandum of Agreement (MoA). This pact underpins Qatar Airways’ fleet expansion strategy unveiled last month and paves the way for groundbreaking inflight entertainment (IFE) enhancements, leveraging Thales’ cutting-edge technologies to advance the airline’s digital transformation.

Central to the agreement is the establishment of a dedicated IFE service and maintenance hub in Doha. This local Thales facility will offer streamlined support—ranging from repairs and spare-parts distribution to technical assistance and comprehensive upkeep—for all Thales IFE systems fitted across Qatar Airways’ burgeoning fleet. Designed for peak operational efficiency, the center will ensure swift turnarounds and uphold the highest quality standards.

This MoA deepens a longstanding collaboration: Thales already supplies the carrier’s IFE on Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners and Airbus A350s and A380s, and will now extend its award-winning FlytEDGE cloud-native IFE solution to the new A321 NX series. Aligned with Qatar Vision 2030, the partnership not only fosters industry-leading innovation but also bolsters the domestic aerospace and MRO ecosystem by creating high-skill employment opportunities in the region.

Eng. Ali Al Saadi, Chief MRO Officer at Qatar Airways, commented, “Our enduring partnership with Thales reflects our commitment to technological leadership and operational excellence. This new agreement strengthens our ability to remain at the forefront of aviation innovation.” Yannick Assouad, Executive Vice-President of Avionics at Thales, added, “Expanding our collaboration with Qatar Airways underscores our shared dedication to pioneering solutions and impeccable service standards. Establishing a service hub in Doha is a cornerstone for supporting the airline’s ambitious growth trajectory.”

About Thales

Thales (Euronext Paris: HO) is a global leader in advanced technologies for the Defence, Aerospace, and Cyber & Digital sectors. Its portfolio of innovative products and services addresses several major challenges: sovereignty, security, sustainability and inclusion.

The Group invests more than €4 billion per year in Research & Development in key areas, particularly for critical environments, such as Artificial Intelligence, cybersecurity, quantum and cloud technologies.

Thales has more than 83,000 employees in 68 countries. In 2024, the Group generated sales of €20.6 billion.

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SOURCE: Thales