ArchitectureHigh-ScaleStreaming
Aviation W-IFE System
Redefining In-Flight Media
Overview
Designed a wireless in-flight entertainment architecture supporting 100+ concurrent HD streams, eliminating seat-back wiring to reduce aircraft weight. The architecture delivered measurable fuel cost savings and improved passenger satisfaction.
Architecture
Architecture: Local streaming server with custom HLS implementation for low-latency buffering. Content synchronisation via 4G/SatCom when grounded. Custom Linux kernel on industrial-grade embedded servers. Designed for graceful degradation under constrained aircraft power and thermal envelopes.
Key Technical Decisions
- 01.Eliminated seat-back wiring across the aircraft cabin — passengers stream to personal devices over an onboard Wi-Fi mesh.
- 02.Custom HLS implementation on an embedded Linux server tuned for low-latency buffering under constrained aircraft power budgets.
- 03.Content synchronisation pipeline via 4G/SatCom when grounded, ensuring fresh media libraries without manual loading.
- 04.Hardened Linux kernel on industrial-grade embedded hardware, designed for aviation thermal and vibration envelopes.
- 05.Graceful degradation architecture: partial node failure reduces stream capacity rather than causing a full system outage.
Outcome
Delivered a wireless IFE architecture that eliminated cabin wiring weight, reduced fuel costs, and supported 100+ concurrent HD streams with graceful degradation.
Tech Stack
ArchitectureHigh-ScaleStreaming