Panasonic debuts Astrova for Air Canada
April 16, 2026
By Chris Forrester
Astrova – a Panasonic Avionics seat-back solution for aircraft – has entered service with Air Canada on one of its Airbus A321 aircraft.
The flag carrier of Canada is retro-fitting Astrova on 19 A321 aircraft with the IFE solution also being installed on an additional 67 of the carrier’s fleet across a number of aircraft types. This includes line-fitting Astrova on the airline’s 23 new Airbus A220-300, 30 new A321XLR and 14 new Boeing 787-10 aircraft.
Passengers flying with Air Canada can now enjoy an immersive, home-cinema experience, featuring 4K OLED HDR10+ displays alongside spatial audio streamed directly to their own wireless headphones using Panasonic Avionics’ Bluetooth technology.
Panasonic used an industry event on April 15th to announce that Air India had selected Panasonic’s kit. Panasonic has opened two new line maintenance stations in India (in Mumbai and New Delhi) as Air India receives its first nose-to-tail cabin-refreshed Dreamliner from California.
Tata Group owns Air India and has selected Panasonic’s Total Care Package for its In-Flight Entertainment (IFE) system across 74 aircraft in its fleet. The Air India deal covers IFE systems installed on Boeing 787-9, Airbus A350-1000, Airbus A350-900, and Airbus A321neo aircraft, including both the Astrova and X Series line-fit and retrofit programs.
Tom Eskola, Vice President, Panasonic Technical Services at Panasonic Avionics, commented: “We are thrilled that Air India has decided to build on its long-standing relationship with Panasonic Avionics as it embarks on its ambitious fleet renewal and modernisation program. Committing to our Total Care Package, which is designed to deliver the best possible in-flight experience for passengers, underscores Air India’s commitment to innovation and operational excellence.”
Jeremy Yew, Senior Vice President – Engineering & Maintenance, Air India, added: “Responsive, high-quality maintenance support is vital for the operational efficiency of our growing fleet. Panasonic Avionics’ decision to establish new line maintenance stations in Delhi and Mumbai significantly strengthens our ability to minimise IFE‑related disruptions and maximise aircraft availability. This collaboration reinforces Air India’s focus on building strong, future-ready engineering capabilities in India.”