Kontron Signs Agreement with HNA Technik for Civil Aviation WiFi Project in China

Beijing, China, April 8, 2013 – Kontron China and HNA Technik Co., Ltd. have signed a Framework Agreement, which formally named Kontron as the designated supplier for the HNA Technik civil aviation WiFi project. The aim of the agreement is to equip commercial airliners with onboard WiFi networks by the HNA Technik/Kontron team for use in the China civil aviation market.

HNA Technik is the technical branch of Hainan Airlines, the fourth largest airline in China. As such, HNA is uniquely positioned to address the rapidly growing Chinese commercial aviation market and leverages previous experience with WiFi systems, certification and MRO installations.

Kontron is an experienced supplier of in-flight systems to the global aerospace market. There are currently over 2000 commercial aircrafts operating worldwide with Kontron equipment on board - airborne servers, wireless access points and communication units.

Mr.Xu Jin, Vice President of HNA Technik comments, "As an international famous enterprise, Kontron boasts high quality and stable development. Combined with HNA’s market technology capability and fast development, this partnership will support the creation of a WiFi system design with competitive price and service to the domestic and international customer’s satisfaction. We believe that both parties can develop many competitive products and we look forward to our further cooperation."

With the advancement of aviation electronic technology, airframe manufacturers such as Boeing and Airbus are now considering cabin WiFi networks and Air-to-ground connectivity on their new model aircraft. The domestic airlines in China began use of onboard WiFi in early 2012 and have started trial operation at the end of 2012. The major Chinese airlines have all expressed interest in use of WiFi networks as a means to provide new onboard services to passengers and crew.

The solution provided by Kontron for this project consists of the complete set of hardware products necessary to implement the WiFi network onboard the aircraft and support complementary services such as Video-On-Demand. The products to be supplied include Kontron’s ACE Flight 600 Airborne Server, Cabin Wireless Access Point (CWAP), plus associated control panel and management terminals. Kontron has extensive experience in FAA/EASA certification for airworthiness and all of the equipment supplied must meet these rigorous standards. Parallel airworthiness certifications with the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) are in progress to support this program.

Mr. Peng Xiaowei, Director GM of China Region, Kontron AG comments, "With increasingly growing attention of passengers on in-flight entertainment, China’s domestic airlines are increasing investments in onboard wireless networks. Hainan Airlines, as the fourth largest airlines in China, is taking the lead in the field of modification of aircraft with WiFi and airborne servers. Starting in 2011, Hainan Airlines and Kontron have engaged in discussions and finally the two parties signed a cooperative Framework agreement. We look forward to working with HNA in establishing our status in the China airborne in-flight entertainment market."

Kontron has many years of experience in developing system solutions for commercial and military aviation customers. This experience provides the foundation to meet customer expectations for performance, size, weight and cost of the products used in the HNA Technik WiFi system. Also, since Kontron is a global leader in embedded computing, the roadmap for these avionics products is frequently refreshed with the latest technology available on the market. This capability differentiates Kontron from other competitors.

The HNA Technik WiFi system will allow passengers to easily access information and in-flight entertainment using their own Personal Electronic Devices (PEDs). The light weight and low cost of the airborne equipment provided by Kontron enables installation of the system on narrow-body and regional aircraft that could not previously be addressed. With the latest developments in CPU, storage and wireless technology, Kontron is able to address SWaP-C (size, weight, power, cooling and cost) challenges in order to meet evolving airline system requirements.

This new partnership means that HNA Technik will be capable of providing a world class wireless in-flight entertainment experience for commercial airline passengers both in China and abroad. Plus Kontron sees participation in the continued growth of the China civil aviation industry as a key strategy.

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About Kontron
Kontron is a global leader in embedded computing technology. With more than 40% of its employees in research and development, Kontron creates many of the standards that drive the world’s embedded computing platforms. Kontron’s product longevity, local engineering and support, and value-added services, helps create a sustainable and viable embedded solution for OEMs and system integrators. Kontron works closely with its customers on their embedded application-ready platforms and custom solutions, enabling them to focus on their core competencies. The result is an accelerated time-to-market, reduced total-cost-of-ownership and an improved overall application with leading-edge, highly-reliable embedded technology.

Kontron is listed on the German TecDAX stock exchange under the symbol "KBC". For more information, please visit: http://www.kontron.com/


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