Panasonic's new in-flight entertainment system includes 4K OLED Displays for all passengers

If you've ever been on a long-haul flight or international trip flying Economy, you probably weren't impressed with the display slapped onto the seat in front of you. Sure, they do the job and provide access to a range of movies and TV shows to help you kill some time, but they're a far cry from the crisp 4K OLED experience you can get at home... until now.

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Panasonic Avionics' new Astrova in-flight entertainment (IFE) system includes 4K OLED displays, image credit: Panasonic.

Panasonic Avionics has a new Astrova in-flight entertainment (IFE) system that includes 4K OLED displays with HDR 10+ to deliver "cinema-grade picture quality." It doesn't stop there, as there's high-fidelity audio and Bluetooth functionality to connect your audio device. Plus, up to 100W of mobile and laptop fast-charging over USB-C. Naturally, the impressive thing is that 4K OLED displays are on a plane for all passengers.

The good news is that Qantas and Icelandair are already adopting the Astrova system. Qantas will include these systems in its long-haul direct flights from Australia to Europe and New York in Airbus A350-1000 aircraft.

Icelandair has already received its systems and is set to install them. As for the screen sizes, Business Class passengers will get a 16-inch Astrova OLED display, while Economy Class passengers will get a 13-inch Astrova OLED display. The good news for airlines is that the system has been designed to be modular, so upgrading or changing components won't require whatever is currently involved in replacing one of those chair screens.

United Airlines will start rolling out these 4K OLED displays for U.S. travelers in 2025.

Ultimately, it's awesome to see OLED tech making its way into airline in-flight entertainment systems - as it wasn't something we expected to see for a while. At least outside of First Class - who knows what happens there. Now, all airlines need to do is add more legroom, and luggage space, and make the chairs more comfy.