Qatar deal adds to Phitek's Mideast sales

Phitek 'Blackbox' M14 Noice Cancellation headphones. Photo / Supplied

Auckland headphone company Phitek Systems has landed a deal with Qatar Airways as sales rise in the Middle East.

Phitek, which also has offices in China, Japan and the United States, has won a contract to supply Qatar Airways' first- and business-class cabins with the company's active noise cancellation headphones.

Director of sales for airlines Paul Simmonds said the company was getting increased sales in the Middle East as a result of support by New Zealand Trade and Enterprise and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

The company had benefited from New Zealand's raised profile during a recent trade mission to the region, Simmonds said.

"Phitek has gained key access to commercial contacts and opportunities in the wider Middle East as a result of ongoing support by the Dubai office of NZTE and through the work of [Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade] ambassadors in the region," he said.

"The April trade mission was an endorsement of New Zealand innovation and showcased Phitek's compelling value proposition to airlines based there."

Phitek was set up in 2003 to meet a demand for ambient noise cancellation in in-flight entertainment and the company says its patented active noise rejection technology is used by more than 50 airlines.

Phitek has an avionics business unit focused on the needs of airline customers, while an audio division concentrates on development and marketing for the mobile phone and music industry.

New Zealand last year concluded talks for a free-trade agreement with the Gulf Co-operation Council - made up of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the UAE, Oman, Qatar and Bahrain - the country's seventh-largest trading partner with trade worth $3.85 billion.

NOISE REJECTION

What is it?

* Patented technology originally developed for use in commercial passenger aircraft to deal with background noise when using headphones.

How does it work?

* Measures the noise field close to the ear.
* Calculates an anti-noise response.
* Sends the response to the headphone speaker.
* Noise and anti-noise signals combine to provide near-silence.