Santan, Soft Space take inflight retail to new heights

This innovation reaffirms Santan’s commitment to revolutionising the inflight dining and shopping experience.

Key leaders from Soft Space, AirAsia, Santan, and Zebra, along with AirAsia cabin crew, celebrate the collaboration at the event. Photo: Zebra

Since 2020, Santan has been at the forefront of adopting technological solutions to improve inflight operations, becoming the first to implement SoftPOS technology for contactless payments on AirAsia flights. The Fasspos system empowers AirAsia cabin crew with a streamlined, all-in-one solution for inventory tracking, in-seat orders, and payment processing.

Building on this foundation, the latest upgrade introduces Zebra Technologies’ enterprise-grade ET45 tablets to enhance Fasspos’ capabilities. The tablets feature larger, easy-to-navigate displays and robust Near-Field Communication (NFC) technology, reducing transaction times by over half. These features enable cabin crew to focus on providing exceptional customer service, ensuring passengers enjoy a seamless delivery of Santan’s signature meals and beverages.

Catherine Goh, CEO of Santan, said "At Santan, we are always striving to enhance the inflight experience, and technology plays a pivotal role in making it truly seamless. By integrating innovative solutions like Fasspos, we elevate the overall guest journey while empowering our cabin crew to work more efficiently. This ensures the smooth delivery of our delicious Santan offerings, transforming every flight into a memorable experience for our passengers."

The introduction of the ET45 tablets also aligns with Santan’s broader vision of becoming ASEAN’s leading aviation supply ecosystem. With over 20 million inflight food and beverage units sold annually, the upgraded solution further supports Santan's goal of delivering high-quality, efficient service across AirAsia’s extensive network.

AirAsia cabin crew facilitating inflight purchases using Fasspos on upgraded Zebra tablets. Photo: Zebra

Joel Tay, CEO of Soft Space, said, "Fasspos’s unique dual ordering and payment functionalities on one device will streamline AirAsia’s inflight sales operations, shorten transaction times, improve cost efficiencies, and could potentially boost sales transactions on all of AirAsia Group’s fleet of planes."

Christanto Suryadarma, sales vice president for Southeast Asia (SEA), South Korea, and Channel APJeC, Zebra Technologies, added "We are thrilled to partner with Soft Space and Santan to enhance the inflight retail experience for AirAsia’s passengers. Our enterprise-grade tablets are specifically designed for robust performance and durability, the fastest Wi-Fi and cellular speeds with Wi-Fi 6 and 5G and built-in barcode scanner and NFC, yet lightweight. This makes them ideal for the demanding environment of inflight operations. By integrating our technology with Soft Space’s innovative Fasspos solution, we are empowering AirAsia’s cabin crew to deliver efficient and seamless service, ultimately elevating the overall customer experience.”

“This collaboration underscores our commitment to providing cutting-edge technology that meets the evolving needs of the airline industry, enabling smoother transactions and unlocking new potential for ancillary revenue streams,” he noted.

The global in-flight retail market is set to grow to $11 billion by 2032 from $7.2 billion in 2022, with a compound annual growth rate of 5.45 per cent during the period. The industry is expanding because of the increased travel trends after the pandemic, the rising popularity of high-tech planes, and the proliferation of online distribution channels. The convenience of in-flight shopping is increased by the availability of a wide range of goods, including food and beverages, perfumes, gifts and crafts, apparel and accessories, books, and periodicals.

“Vietnam’s GDP is forecast to reach $506 billion this year, with consumers rapidly embracing digital platforms such as mobile shopping and payments,” added Suryadarma. “Inflight retail solutions like Fasspos are therefore likely to be well-received by Vietnamese passengers, enhancing their travel experience.”

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