Do tablets and planes actually mix well? If you are a passenger, then the answer would be yes, but if you happen to be the pilot or co-pilot, it might not be such a good idea after all. Still, here we are with word that Virgin America intends to bestow this initiative with wings, delivering yet another touch of technology across its fleet of Airbus jets. This means the antiquated onboard flight management system which flight attendants use will be retired, and the Nexus 7 will take its place.
Virgin America has called this particular device as the “CrewPad”, through popular vote of course, and it will see action by flight attendants in order to assist them in managing the requirements as well as needs of passengers. For instance, if a passenger places an order for a drink through the ‘Red’ in-flight entertainment touch-screen, the order will pop up on the Nexus 7, alerting flight attendants to such a request so that they can then fulfill it.
Why the Nexus 7? Virgin America claims that it is light and thin, not to mention having a decent 7-inch display that will be easy on the eyes, not to mention having the ability to remain ahead of the curve thanks to new and upcoming software updates. The CrewPad underwent approximately 30 days of trials before it was given the go ahead for a full fleet rollout. [Press Release]