Criterion D

In order to satisfy the expectations of passengers during long hours of flights, IFE companies should design a system which include Wi-Fi access regardless of destinations and operating systems which improves the interaction between humans and machinnes. The growth in In-Flight Wi-Fi has been slow due to the different IP addresses and internet policies of countries. To solve this problem, companies need to design a universal In flight entertainment system specialize for commercial aviation uses so that all airlines bound for anywhere in the world are able to access communication systems for IFE such as in flight wi-fi, live video streaming and many others.

Criterion C - The impact of the issue

Criterion C

In flight entertainment play a very important role in the Aviation world today. Major airlines such as British Airways, Emirates Airlines, Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific are the main stakeholders in this particular area. Over the years, these airlines have been investing in large amounts for the comfort of passengers and travelers during long hours of flights.

The usage of in flight entertainment is altering many factors such as economy, business and health. As more airlines are adopting better in flight entertainment every year, more passengers are more likely to use those airlines. This is because the healths of travelers are heavily depended on the level of comfort they receive while on board (Westelaken, Hu, Liu, 2008). Studies have shown that by enhancing passengers' relaxation level, it can directly affect their mood and attitude in a positive way by reducing the level of stress. From this, airlines heavily depends on the quality of their in flight entertainment to improve their image (Sharkley, 2006) and attract more travelers for future and long term incomes. However, since the 9/11 attack, the aviation industry had been facing many financial challenges (Drakos,) to upgrade their in flight entertainment system (Juan, 97-98) and the cost to maintain the entertainment systems is very extravagant as airlines will have to keep adding more audio and video features. This also raises the issue of the reliability and to what extent airlines are willing to invest in a safe IFE system as Wi-Fi is now included as part of the system. Unrestricted access may be breached by online criminals who can threaten the security of aircrafts, which is why the idea has only been accepted by only a few airlines worldwide.

On the contrary, in flight Wi-Fi has not been a standard expectation for passengers yet unlike audio and video entertainment system for each passenger seat as companies like Boeing are still in the process of developing the technology. For the mean time, companies such as Linux and Panasonic Avionics are striding forward in the IFE industry despite the financial slowdown in order to improve the environment of travelers during international flights.   

Criterion B Arts/Entertainment/Leisure

Criterion B
The in flight entertainment of the 21st century is consisted of major components such as Video Display Unit (VDU), Wireless router, Passengers/Personals control unit (PCU), Seat electronic box/unit (SEU) and operating system which acts as an interface between the users and the systems. Each aircrafts seat that can be classified as five star airlines has its own circuit and wiring which connects all the components together for the comfort of passengers.
The most essential component which provides power and energy to the system is known as the Seat Electronic Unit (SEU) and each of the components require their own seat electronic box. The Seat Electronic Boxes are consisted of cable Bundles that connect and transfer all the energy required for the systems to operate. These boxes are then connected to another power source which is controlled from another section where it is restricted to cabin crew and airline personnel only and this is where the (SEU) absorbs and consumes all the power that is needed to power the IFE system. Therefore, the Seat Electronic Unit acts as a hub for transferring power and electricity from the main source to the system through cable wiring. Electrical cables also are connected between seats creating a series circuit which can be switched off or on by the main switch (which is monitored by flight crew).
It then powers the Video Display Unit and Personal Control Unit. In an event of aircraft maintenance, the SEU contains line replaceable units (LRU) so malfunctioned electrical parts can be replaced without replacing the whole system with a new one. The VDU receives video and audio transmissions through wireless connections provided by the airline and the information that are sent and received between the two components are encrypted and designed to protect computer intruders to enhance the security while on board. Marvelous in flight entertainment layouts and are usually designed by companies that invest a lot in terms of providing operating systems. Corporations such as Panasonic Avionics, Thales and Linux are the main providers of IFEs for airliners like Emirates Airlines, Virgin, Etihad and Singapore Airlines. The Personal Control Unit (PCU) allows passengers and users to navigate through the system by using the Operating Systems and altering channels, audio volume and the brightness by using the PCU which also include the touch screen.

Criterion A - Arts / Entertainment / Leisure

Criterion A

As the aviation world is rapidly switching to aircrafts with longer range such as the Airbus 380, entertaining passengers has been the major key towards building better reputation for airlines (Yu, 2008) for future incomes. Airlines such as Emirates Airline, Cathay Pacific and Singapore Airlines are widely known for their quality of the in flight entertainment systems. The aircrafts of today can keep travelers in the air for up to 18 hours and having an excellent entertainment system (Robertson, 2009) is essential in order to satisfy passengers. Good operating systems (Wagner, 2008) may include new features such as the Wi-Fi on board and not all airlines have them since it requires complex systems that may interrupt the communications of pilots (Tung, 2008). The ethical issue this portfolio will focus on will be peoples and machines where IFE systems are evaluated on its effectiveness on passengers during long flights. This is important as IFEs have great impacts on the health of travelers and the aviation industry.