Astronics reports success from in-seat power launch

Astronics Corporation has announced that since launching the EmPower UltraLite G2 Power System at last year’s Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg, it has received commitments from ‘more than a dozen’ airlines to install the cabin power system on over 1,100 narrow-body aircraft.

Installations on these aircraft are planned for the next three years, and the company says that the commitments received to date include options for several hundred more aircraft.

The system is available as a linefit or retrofit option, and uses a distributed zonal architecture, leveraging 800W power supplies with greater than 93% efficiency and system intelligence at the seat. As a result, the system can provide up to 60W of power at every seat with a combination of USB Type-A and the latest USB Type-C outlets. According to Astronics this setup allows maximum flexibility and airline customisation, all while reducing overall system and per-seat weight by 30-40% when compared with some other power systems on the market.

“As airlines strive to reduce their environmental impact, we are excited to empower them with a transformative solution that not only provides industry-leading power at each seat, but also weighs significantly less, which helps contribute to a greener and more sustainable future for our industry,” stated Peter Gundermann, CEO of Astronics.