Canadian Outfits Aircraft With Laptop Power Sources

<I>Calgary</I> - Canadian Airlines International has become the first non-U.S. carrier to install in-seat power supply ports for laptop computers.

The airline already has equipped nine of its 11 Boeing 767 aircraft with the EmPower system, made by Seattle-based Primex Aerospace Co. The remaining two will be outfitted by mid-March.

"Our customer research clearly indicates that the majority of our frequent fliers use laptops in the office or while traveling," said Diana Ward, a spokeswoman for Canadian Airlines. "Because Club Empress was designed for our frequent flyers, we have developed a superior business-class product that really caters to their needs."

The need for alternative laptop power sources has been exacerbated by the onslaught of powerful and power-demanding computers, said John Wade, marketing manager for Primex, which launched the EmPower system last February. "Batteries have increased capacity, but as the batteries get more capacity, you get a faster processor that uses up more power. Therefore, your battery that might have run for four hours on a 486 will only run for an hour and a half on your Pentium."

The EmPower system provides a 15-volt direct-current power source from a transformer box hidden under the aircraft seat. The actual plug is located in the seat arm. Passengers can plug in using a standard interface cable that contains a converter to produce the required voltage.

Wade said Primex is proposing a 15-volt standard to laptop makers and hopes that, in time, if it's accepted by manufacturers, there will be no need to convert the voltage because the laptop will accept directly the 15 volts.

For now, seven of the most common adapters are available on Canadian's 767 aircraft, including those for the Compaq Centra Aero, Contura 400 and Armanda series M203, a selection of IBM ThinkPads and Toshiba laptops.

Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines was the first carrier to introduce laptop plug-ins. Just days after the Federal Aviation Administration approved an in-seat power system for laptops, Delta announced last summer it was starting a six-month test of the EmPower system for 18 first-class seats on its Spirit of Delta Boeing 767 aircraft. American Airlines has installed 12-volt transformers with adapters on some of its aircraft.