25th April 2016: SmartLynx Airlines Estonia has selected Eirtech Aviation, an Irish based engineering and technical services company, to supply its newly-developed passenger USB power solution for their Airbus 320 aircraft.

Eirtech’s USB charging system has been developed in response to the needs of passengers to stay connected at all times; the device will allow passengers to charge their personal electronic devices during the flight.

Eirtech Aviation is a specialist aviation services company and developed the power solution for retrofit, meaning it can be easily and quickly installed onto existing aircraft seats.

Eirtech’s innovative In-Seat USB Power system requires no permanent physical modification of the seats. It is extremely light weight at less than 1lb per three-seat configuration, with one USB outlet per passenger. It can be installed on a staged basis, which minimises ground time and is suitable for many different aircraft types. The system is both EASA and FAA approved.

Niall Cunningham, CEO of Eirtech Aviation said; “As a solutions-driven company we have developed a USB power system that offers multiple benefits to both airlines and their passengers. The days of only offering a service that gets the passenger from A to B are long gone. Passengers now have high expectations set by not only the airlines, but by other industries that are offering digital innovations to make life easier and more experiential for the consumer. This means that airlines have to tap into the passenger experience and that in turn means satisfying their most basic of digital needs – charging their personal electronic devices.”

Sander Janson, Technical Director of SmartLynx Airlines Estonia said; “Eirtech Aviation’s in-seat USB power system was a great solution for us; it is silent, fan-less and has an LED light, making it easy for our passengers to locate on their arm rest. Crucially, installation was simple and fast and the main USB power supply can be independently controlled by our flight crew, allowing them to switch it on or off, as necessary. Smartphones and tablets are the here and now and airlines need to act smart to ensure that passengers can stay connected in the sky.”

Many wireless inflight entertainment (IFE) systems require the passenger to bring their own device onboard to access media content. This can be a source of ancillary income for the airline so providing access to a charger has become a modern-day commercial imperative.