Meta and MSM.digital transforming how entertainment, engagement, and wellbeing are delivered in the air

Meta and MSM.digital – Gold Sponsors and Exhibitors at APEX FTE Asia Expo (Singapore, 11-12 November 2025) – are partnering to redefine what passengers will experience onboard modern airlines through Virtual Reality, fundamentally transforming how entertainment, engagement, and wellbeing are delivered in the air. Ahead of the event, Camillo Stark, Deputy Managing Director, MSM.digital, shares some compelling insights in this interview.

Meta provides the hardware, platform, and global developer ecosystem that make immersive experiences accessible at scale. MSM.digital, as a system integrator, brings the expertise to connect this platform with the specific requirements of airlines, the broader aviation ecosystem, and passengers themselves. Together, Meta and MSM.digital are building a seamless framework that enables airlines to offer immersive inflight experiences and new service concepts that shape the future of air travel.

“With Virtual Reality, as with many breakthrough technologies, true understanding only comes through experience,” explains Camillo Stark, Deputy Managing Director, MSM.digital. “You have to try it to fully grasp its impact and potential. That’s why events like APEX FTE Asia Expo are so important for us. They connect us directly with the right decision-makers and innovators across the aviation industry who are shaping the next generation of inflight experiences. As Gold Sponsors, Meta and MSM.digital want to give airlines, especially those from the dynamic Asian markets, the opportunity to experience this technology first-hand. It’s not just about being present; it’s about creating real encounters that inspire, demonstrate the maturity of Virtual Reality, and open the door to meaningful collaboration.”

This year, the focus of Meta and MSM.digital is entirely on what passengers will actually experience in the future – the solutions that will define how it feels to fly. “Within the framework of the InFlight VR Programme, we have brought together a selection of leading AAA VR studios and their experiences to show what inflight entertainment can become once it moves beyond the limits of a traditional screen,” says Stark.

Experience what ‘In-Flight Entertainment’ becomes when it evolves into ‘In-Flight Experiences’

APEX FTE Asia Expo visitors can immerse themselves in the same content that passengers will one day enjoy onboard: from live sports in full immersion, to cinematic storytelling, mindful wellbeing, interactive games, and educational experiences. “These titles – including Xtadium, Cosmic XR, Puzzling Places, Felix & Paul Studios, Mindway, TRIPP, Cubism – represent the best of the Meta Horizon platform, carefully curated and optimised by MSM.digital for use in the unique environment of an aircraft cabin,” Stark shares. “The aim is simple: to let people experience what ‘In-Flight Entertainment’ becomes when it evolves into ‘In-Flight Experiences’. This marks a new era of travel where technology fades into the background, and the experience itself takes centre stage.

This year’s APEX FTE Asia Expo theme of ‘Accelerating Innovation’ perfectly captures what Meta and MSM.digital are doing with the InFlight VR Programme – moving from ‘In-Flight Entertainment’ to ‘In-Flight Experiences’. “For decades, the aviation industry has been limited by the technical boundaries of the 2D screen,” says Stark. “Through the breakthrough innovation driven by Meta, we now have the opportunity to go beyond those limits and open entirely new dimensions of experiences, entertainment, and services onboard. What we are showing at this year’s APEX FTE Asia Expo is only a glimpse of what’s possible. The technology itself offers far broader potential and a growing number of use cases across the aviation value chain – B2B and B2C.”

Extended Reality holds transformative potential across both B2C and B2B dimensions of aviation, with the ability to reshape the industry’s revenue and cost structure. On the B2C side, Virtual Reality enables airlines to offer immersive, highly personalised experiences that are tailored to the preferences and needs of each individual traveller. “Through more adaptive and data-driven content, closely interlinked with artificial intelligence (AI), airlines can provide passengers with experiences that feel more relevant, engaging, and emotionally resonant,” Stark explains. “This not only enhances satisfaction and loyalty but also creates entirely new ways to deliver value along the travel journey. On the B2B side, Virtual Reality and AI together are unlocking new efficiencies in training, simulation, and operations across all segments of aviation. Whether it’s maintenance, safety, ground handling, or service preparation, these technologies make processes faster, more consistent, and cost-efficient while simultaneously improving quality and learning outcomes. Both perspectives go hand in hand, and together they will drive a strong acceleration of innovation in aviation, improving both the economic performance and the customer experience of airlines in the years to come.”

Inviting all stakeholders across the IFE ecosystem to co-create the future of passenger experience

Collaboration is at the heart of what Meta and MSM.digital do. To make this transformation tangible, they have established the InFlight VR Programme – an open initiative that invites all stakeholders across the inflight entertainment ecosystem to co-create the future of passenger experience.

This collaborative approach already brings together airlines, VR content providers, IFE suppliers such as Thales, and connectivity partners like Starlink. Each plays a vital role in shaping how Virtual Reality becomes a certified, scalable, and reliable part of aviation operations.

“And this is just the beginning,” says Stark. “The ecosystem will continue to grow as more partners join the effort, because, as the saying goes, it takes a village to raise a child. The same is true here: it takes the entire ecosystem to make this vision real and deliver a seamless, next-generation experience for passengers around the world.”

Looking to the future, Stark shares that one day, head-worn technology such as AR and VR glasses will become part of everyday life – and may even replace the smartphone as the number one personal device. “We see a future in which people will use these glasses as their travel device, bringing them onboard as a natural part of their journey and using them to consume content, stay connected, and enhance their experience,” he says. “In that future, our goal is to enable airlines to be part of what passengers experience – not separate from it. By building the right infrastructure, content ecosystem, and operational frameworks today, we help airlines remain connected with their passengers through these new devices and deliver the best possible service and experience, even as technology and habits evolve. In essence, the role of the airline will expand beyond transport, becoming a true part of the passenger’s personal digital world in the skies.”

Looking ahead, Stark is eager to participate at the 15^th anniversary edition of APEX FTE Asia Expo, taking place in Singapore on 11-12 November 2025. “The FTE community convenes the people who don’t just talk about the future – they build it. For Meta and MSM.digital, FTE is a collaboration platform: we demonstrate what Virtual Reality can do for passengers today while working with airlines, OEMs, and partners to shape the next decade. The most exciting shift: immersive tech is now seen as strategic – a driver of passenger experience and brand differentiation.”

Learn more about Meta and MSM.digital in the Tech & Innovation Briefing focused on Inflight Entertainment & Connectivity (IFEC), which takes place in the APEX FTE Asia Expo exhibition at 12:30-13:00 on 12 November 2025. Our popular Tech & Innovation Briefings on the exhibition floor allow attendees to join guided tours and meet exhibitors with relevant products, services and concepts to learn more about the subjects they are most interested in.

Hear more from Meta in the Premium Conference at APEX FTE Asia Expo, taking place in Singapore on 11-12 November 2025. Bastian Schütz, Head of XR in Travel, Meta, will deliver a Special Presentation titled ‘Elevating aviation with Extended Reality: Unlocking the potential of Extended Reality & Immersive Experiences’. Schütz will also participate in a panel focused on ‘Inflight Innovation – how will the latest IFEC, cabin design and service developments redefine the onboard experience?’

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