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In-flight entertainment (IFE) refers toentertainment and othervalue-added services available to aircraft passengers during a flight. Frequently managed by content service providers, the types of in-flight entertainment and their content vary significantly based on theairline,aircraft type, and geographic region.
During the early years of air travel in the 1920s, in-flight entertainment took the form of movies that were initially shown on a large screen. With advancements in digital technology over the decades, personal IFEdisplay screens became prevalent during the 1990s, when demand for better IFE became a major factor in the design of aircraft cabins.The advent of small entertainment and communication devices also allows passengers to use their own devices, subject to regulations to prevent them interfering with aircraft equipment.
Design issues for IFE include system safety,cost efficiency,software reliability,hardware maintenance, and user compatibility.
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The first in-flight movie was screened byAeromarine Airways in 1921, showing a film calledHowdy Chicago to passengers on aFelixstowe F.5flying boat as it flew around Chicago.[2]The filmThe Lost World was shown to passengers of anImperial Airways flight in April 1925 betweenLondon (Croydon Airport) and Paris.[3]Eleven years later, in 1932, the first in-flight television called 'media event' was shown on a Western Air ExpressFokker F.10 aircraft.[2]In 1936, the airshipHindenburg offered passengers a piano, lounge, dining room,smoking room, and bar during the2+1⁄2-day flight between Europe and America.[4]
The post-WWII BritishBristol Brabazon airliner was initially specified with a 37-seat cinema within its huge fuselage; this was later reduced to a 23-seat cinema sharing the rear of the aircraft with a lounge and cocktail bar. The aircraft never entered service.[5]
However, it was not until the 1960s that in-flight entertainment became mainstream and popular. In 1961, David Flexer of Inflight Motion Pictures developed the 16mm film system using a 25-inch reel for a wide variety of commercial aircraft. Capable of holding the entire film, and mounted horizontally to maximize space, this replaced the previous 30-inch-diameter film reels. In 1961,TWA committed to Flexer's technology and was the first to debut a feature film in flight.[2] Interviewed by the New Yorker in 1962, Mr Flexner said, "an awful lot of ingenuity has gone into this thing, which started from my simply thinking one day, in flight, that air travel is both the most advanced form of transportation and the most boring.”[6] Amerlon Productions, a subsidiary of Inflight, produced at least one film,Deadlier Than the Male, specifically for use on airplanes.Pakistan International Airlines was the first international airline to introduce this entertainment system, showing regularly scheduled films from 1962.[2][7]
In 1963, Avid Airline Products developed and manufactured the first pneumatic headset used on board the airlines and provided these early headsets to TWA. These early systems consisted of in-seat audio that could be heard with hollow tube headphones.[2] In 1979, pneumatic headsets were replaced by electronic headsets, which were initially available only on selected flights and premium cabins.[citation needed] Pneumatic headphones continued to be offered on Delta Airlines flights until 2003, despite the fact that electronic headphone jacks have existed on Delta planes since the adoption of Boeing 767-200 in 1982.
Throughout the early to mid-1960s, some in-flight movies were played back from videotape, using early compact transistorized videotape recorders made by Sony and Ampex, and played back on CRT monitors mounted on the upper sides in the cabin above the passenger seats with several monitors placed a few seats apart from each other. The audio was played back through the headsets.
In 1971, TRANSCOM developed the 8mm film cassette.Flight attendants could now change movies in-flight and add short subject programming.
In the late 1970s and early 1980s,CRT-based projectors began to appear on newer widebody aircraft, such as theBoeing 767. These usedLaserDiscs orvideo cassettes for playback. Some airlines upgraded the old film IFE systems to the CRT-based systems in the late 1980s and early 1990s on some of their older widebodies. In 1985, Avicom introduced the firstpersonal audio player system, based on the Philips Tape Cassette technology. In 1988, the Airvision company introduced the first in-seat audio/video on-demand systems using 2.7 inches (69 mm)LCD technology forNorthwest Airlines.[8] The trials, which were run by Northwest Airlines on itsBoeing 747 fleet, received overwhelmingly positive passenger reaction. As a result, this completely replaced the CRT technology.[citation needed]
In 1996 and 1997,Swissair andAlitalia introduced the first digital in-flight entertainment systems aboard its aircraft manufactured by US-based company Interactive Flight Technologies, marking a notable development in passenger amenities, that would generate additional revenue for the airline. These systems featured individualtouchscreen displays integrated into seat armrests, allowing passengers to access various entertainment including pay-per-view movie library, music, games, and flight details such as a moving map, speed, and altitude. Also, the IFT systems on Swissair offered first ever inflightgambling activities with winnings that could go as high as $3,500.[9][10]
Today, in-flight entertainment is available on almost all wide body aircraft, and often excluded from narrow body aircraft, largely due to aircraft storage and weight limits. TheBoeing 757 was the first narrow body aircraft to widely feature both audio and video in-flight entertainment. Most Boeing 757s feature ceiling-mounted CRT screens, although some newer 757s may feature drop-down LCDs or audio-video on demand systems in the back of each seat. ManyAirbus A320 series andBoeing 737 Next Generation aircraft are also equipped with drop-down LCD screens. Some airlines, such asWestJet,United Airlines, andDelta Air Lines, have equipped some narrow body aircraft with personal video screens at every seat. Others, such asAir Canada andJetBlue, have even equipped someregional jets withVOD.
For the introduction of personal TVs on boardjetBlue, company management tracked that lavatory queuing went far down. They originally had two planes, one with functioning IFE and one with none; the functioning one was later called "the happy plane".[11]
One major obstacle in creating an in-flight entertainment system is system safety. With the sometimes miles of wiring involved, voltage leaks,arcing and heat become a problem. This is more than a theoretical concern; the IFE system was implicated in the crash ofSwissair Flight 111 in 1998. To contain any possible issues, the in-flight entertainment system is typically isolated from the main systems of the aircraft. In the United States, for an aviation product to be considered safe and reliable, it must be certified by theFAA and pass all of the applicable requirements found in theFederal Aviation Regulations. The concerning section, or title, dealing with the aviation industry and the electronic systems embedded in the aircraft, is CFR title 14 part 25. Contained inside Part 25 are rules relating to the aircraft's electronic system.[12]
There are two major sections of the FAA's airworthiness regulations that regulate flight entertainment systems and their safety in transport category aircraft: 14 CFR 25.1301 which approves the electronic equipment for installation and use, by assuring that the system in question is properly labeled, and that its design is appropriate to its intended function.[13] 14 CFR 25.1309 states that the electrical equipment must not alter the safety or functionality of the aircraft upon the result of afailure.[14] One way for the intended IFE system to meet this regulatory requirement is for it to be independent from the aircraft's main power source and processor. By separating the power supplies and data links from that of the aircraft's performance processor, in the event of a failure the system is self-contained, and can not alter the functionality of the aircraft. Upon a showing of compliance to all of the applicable U.S.regulations the in-flight entertainment system is capable of being approved in the United States. Certain U.S. design approvals for IFE may be directly accepted in other countries, or may be capable of being validated, under existing bilateral airworthiness safety agreements.
Thecompanies involved are in a constant battle to cut costs of production, without cutting the system's quality and compatibility. Cutting production costs may be achieved by anything from altering the housing for personal televisions, to reducing the amount ofembedded software in the in-flight entertainment processor. Difficulties with cost are also present with the customers, orairlines, looking to purchase in-flight entertainment systems. Most in-flight entertainment systems are purchased by existing airlines as an upgrade package to an existing fleet of aircraft. This cost can be anywhere from $2 million to $5 million for a plane to be equipped with a set of seat backLCD monitors and an embedded IFE system.[15] Some of the IFE systems are being purchased already installed in a new aircraft, such as the Airbus A320,[16] which eliminates the possibility of having upgrade difficulties. Some airlines are passing the cost directly into the customers ticket price, while some are charging a user fee based on an individual customers use. Some are also attempting to get a majority of the cost paid for by advertisements on, around, and in their IFE.
The largest international airlines sometimes pay more than $90,000 for a license to show one movie over a period of two or three months. These airlines usually feature up to 100 movies at once, whereas 20 years ago they would have only 10 or 12. In the United States, airlines pay a flat fee every time the movie is watched by a passenger. Some airlines spend up to $20 million per year on content.[17]
Amoving-map system is a real-time flight information and position display. These systems were the first type of computerized in flight entertainment.[18] In addition to displaying a map that illustrates the position and direction of the plane, most systems give (utilizing both theimperial andmetric systems) the altitude, airspeed, outside air temperature, distance to the destination, distance from the origination point, and origin/destination/local time (using both the12-hour and24-hour clocks). The moving-map system information is derived in real time from the aircraft'sflight management system.[19][18]
The first moving-map system designed for passengers was namedAirshowand introduced in 1982.[20] It was invented by Airshow Inc (ASINC), a small southern California corporation, which later became part ofRockwell Collins. The system worked by generating a video of the map and distributing it to overhead projectors in the cabin. The maps for the system were developed by hand tracing hundreds of paper maps with a light pen and aSPARCstation tablet.[18] KLM and Swissair were the first airlines to offer the moving map systems to their passengers.
The next development in moving map technology was interaction and 3D. In 2004, Rockwell Collins (who previously acquired Airshow) released the Airshow 4200i, allowing users to move and interact with the map. The system differed from previous systems by running on the seatback monitors andpulling data, rather than running on a central computer thatpushes or distributes video to all of the monitors. Along with the Airshow 4200i, the Airshow 4200 was also released, notable for its3D moving map system. It functioned in the aforementioned distributed video model.[18]
After the attemptedChristmas Day bombing of 2009, the United States Transportation Security Administration (TSA) briefly ordered the live-map shut-off on international flights landing in the United States.[21] Some airlines complained that doing so may compel the entire IFE system to remain shut. After complaints from airlines and passengers alike, these restrictions were eased.
As computing technology advanced, interactive systems and 3D systems were combined. In 2009, Rockwell Collins started development of Airshow 3D, which released a few years later. During the 2010s as new vendors came into the market, Rockwell Collins started to loose its majoritymarket share.[18] In 2013, Betria Interactive unveiled FlightPath3D, a fully interactive moving-map that enables passengers to zoom and pan around a 3D world map using touch gestures, similar toGoogle Earth.[22] FlightPath3D was chosen byNorwegian as the moving-map on their new fleet ofBoeing 787 Dreamliners, running on Panasonic's Android based touch-screen IFE system.[23] In 2019, Arc byPanasonic Avionics was released, developed with one of the original Airshow project managers.[18] Other modern systems include GeoFusion 3D, adopted byThales[24] and Airshow ASXi byRockwell Collins.
Audio entertainment covers music, as well as news, information, and comedy. Most music channels are pre-recorded and feature their ownDJs to provide chatter, song introductions, and interviews with artists. In addition, there is sometimes a channel devoted to the plane's radio communications, allowing passengers to listen in on the pilot's in-flight conversations with other planes and ground stations.
In audio-video on demand (AVOD) systems, software such as MusicMatch is used to select music off the music server. Phillips Music Server is one of the most widely used servers running underWindows Media Center used to control AVOD systems.
This form of in-flight entertainment is experienced throughheadphones that are distributed to the passengers. The headphone plugs are usually only compatible with the audio socket on the passenger's armrest (and vice versa), and some airlines may charge a small fee to obtain a pair. The headphones provided can also be used for the viewing of personal televisions. Passengers can also connect their own headphones if they have compatible connectors; noise-cancelling headphones, which much reduce engine and ambient noise, are popular.
In-flight entertainment systems have been made compatible withXM Satellite Radio and withiPods, allowing passengers to access their accounts or bring their own music, along with offering libraries of full audioCDs of different genres.[25]
Video entertainment is provided via a large video screen at the front of a cabin section, as well as smaller monitors situated every few rows above the aisles. Sound is supplied via the same headphones as those distributed for audio entertainment.
However, personal televisions (PTVs) for every passenger provide passengers with channels broadcasting new and classic films, as well as comedies, news, sports programming, documentaries, children's shows, and drama series. Some airlines also present news and current affairs programming, which are often pre-recorded and delivered in the early morning before flights commence. On some US domestic airlines, live TV is offered, which includes many national news channels.
PTVs are operated via an in-flight Management System which stores pre-recorded channels on a central server and streams them to PTV equipped seats during flight.AVOD systems store individual programs separately, allowing a passenger to have a specific program streamed to them privately, and be able to control the playback.
Some airlines also providevideo games as part of the video entertainment system. For example,Singapore Airlines passengers on some flights have access to a number ofSuper Nintendo games as part of itsKrisWorld entertainment system. AlsoVirgin America's andVirgin Australia's Entertainment System offer passengers internet gaming over aLinux-basedoperating system.[26]
Most airlines have now installed personal televisions (otherwise known as PTVs) for every passenger on most long-haul routes. These televisions are usually located in the seat-backs or tucked away in the armrests for front row seats and first class. Some showdirect broadcast satellite television which enables passengers to view live TV broadcasts. Some airlines also offer video games using PTV equipment. Many are now providing closed captioning for deaf and hard-of-hearing passengers.
Audio-video on demand (AVOD) entertainment has also been introduced. This enables passengers to pause, rewind, fast-forward, or stop a program that they have been watching. This is in contrast to older entertainment systems where no interactivity is provided for. AVOD also allows the passengers to choose among movies stored in the aircraft computer system.
In addition to the personal televisions that are installed in the seatbacks, a new portable media player (PMP) revolution is under way.[when?] There are two types available: commercial off the shelf (COTS) based players and proprietary players. PMPs can be handed out and collected by the cabin crew, or can be "semi-embedded" into the seatback or seat arm. In both of these scenarios, the PMP can pop in and out of an enclosure built into the seat, or an arm enclosure. An advantage of PMPs is that, unlike seatback PTVs, equipment boxes for the inflight entertainment system do not need to be installed under the seats, since those boxes increase the weight of the aircraft and impede legroom.
Personal on-demand videos are stored in an aircraft's main in-flight entertainment system, whence they can be viewed on demand by a passenger over the aircraft's built in media server and wireless broadcast system. Along with the on-demand concept comes the ability for the user to pause, rewind,fast forward, or jump to any point in the movie. There are also movies that are shown throughout the aircraft at one time, often on shared overhead screens or a screen in the front of the cabin. More modern aircraft are now allowing Personal Electronic Devices (PEDs) to be used to connect to the on board in-flight entertainment systems.[citation needed]
Regularly scheduled in flight movies began to premiere in 1961 on flights fromNew York toLos Angeles.[27] The first movie shown wasBy Love Possessed (1961), starringLana Turner; it was first shown on July 19, 1961, whenTWA showed it to its first-class passengers.
Closed captioning technology for deaf and hard-of-hearing passengers started in 2008 withEmirates Airlines. The captions are text streamed along with video and spoken audio and enables passengers to either enable or disable the subtitle/caption language. Closed captioning is capable of streaming various text languages, including Arabic, Chinese, English, French, German, Hindi, Spanish, and Russian. The technology is currently based on Scenarist file multiplexing so far; however, portable media players tend to use alternative technologies. A WAEA technical committee is trying to standardize the closed caption specification. In 2009, the US Department of Transportation ruled a compulsory use of captions of all videos, DVDs, and other audio-visual displays played for safety and/or informational purposes in aircraft should be high-contrast captioned (e.g., white letters on a consistent black background [14 CFR Part 382/ RIN 2105–AD41/OST Docket No. 2006–23999]). As of 2013, several airlines, including
have closed-captioning provided on their AVOD systems.
Video games are another emerging facet of in-flight entertainment. Some game systems are networked to allow interactive playing by multiple passengers. Later generations of IFE games began to shift focus from pure entertainment to learning. The best examples of this changing trend are the popular trivia game series and the Berlitz Word Traveler that allows passengers to learn a new language in their own language. Appearing as a mixture of lessons and mini games, passengers can learn the basics of a new language while being entertained. Many more learning applications continue to appear in the IFE market.
In several airlines from theMuslim world, the AVOD systems provideQibla directions to allow Muslims to pray facingMecca, as is required. Such airlines includeEmirates,Turkish Airlines,Pakistan International Airlines,Etihad Airways,Malaysia Airlines,IranAir,Qatar Airways,Mahan Air,Royal Jordanian andSaudia. Saudia and Malaysia Airlines have built-inQur'ans, the Islamic holy book, ine-book form, andGaruda Indonesia has a dedicated Qur'an channel. Saudia and Emirates have audio Qur'ans.
The AVOD systems onEl Al aircraft feature an application that shows the currentZmanim (Jewish prayer times) throughout the flight, with a compass pointing in the direction ofJerusalem[32]
 | This section needs to beupdated. The reason given is: IFE is becoming more and more mainstream, not a rarity as depicted here. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(September 2019) |
IFE has been expanded to include in-flight connectivity—services such as Internet browsing, text messaging, cell phone usage (where permitted), and emailing. In fact, some in the airline industry have begun referring to the entire in-flight-entertainment category as "IFEC" (In-Flight Entertainment and Connectivity or In-Flight Entertainment and Communication).
The aircraft manufacturer Boeing entered into the in-flight-connectivity industry in 2000 and 2001 with an offshoot calledConnexion by Boeing. The service was designed to provide in-flight broadband service to commercial airlines; Boeing built partnerships with United Airlines, Delta, and American. In 2006 Boeing closed Connexion; industry analysts cited technology, weight, and cost issues. The Connexion hardware then available weighed an unacceptable 1,000 pounds (450 kg).
After Connexion was discontinued, other providers emerged to deliver in-flight broadband communication to airlines—notably satellite-based byRow 44,OnAir andAeroMobile, and air-to-ground connectivity via a cellular signal by Aircell.Many have tested and deployed in-flight connectivity for passengers. Industry expectations were that by the end of 2011 thousands of planes flying in the US would offer some form of in-flight broadband communication to passengers.
Some airlines provide satellite telephones, usually able to make but not receive calls, integrated into their system, located at strategic locations in the aircraft or integrated into the remote control used for passengers' in-flight entertainment. Some aircraft allow faxes and phoneSMS ("texts") to be sent. A notable example of such a system was theAirfone which was used by several people on multiple aircraft during theSeptember 11th attacks. This also allowed the passengers ofUnited Airlines Flight 93 to know about the other hijackings, ultimately leading to the passengers revolting against the hijackers.
Some systems allow a passenger to call another by seat number.
Intranet type communication systems have been introduced. Functionalities may include allowing passengers tochat with each other, compete against each other in provided games, talk toflight attendants, request and pay for food or drinks, and have full access to theInternet andemail.
Several airlines are using in-cabin wi-fi systems.[33] In-flight internet service is provided either through a satellite network or an air-to-ground network.[34] In theAirbus A380 aircraft,data communication viasatellite system allowspassengers to connect to liveInternet from the individual IFE units or theirlaptops via the in-flightWi-Fi access.[35]
Boeing's cancellation of theConnexion by Boeing system in 2006 caused concerns that inflight internet would not be available on next-generation aircraft such asQantas's fleet ofAirbus A380s andBoeing Dreamliner 787s. However,Qantas announced in July 2007 that all service classes in its fleet of A380s would have wireless internet access as well as seat-back access to email and cached web browsing when the Airbuses started operations in October 2008. Certain elements were also retrofitted into existingBoeing 747-400s.[36]
As of 2010[update] sixteen major U.S. airlines offeredWi-Fi connectivity service on their aircraft. The majority of these airlines used the service provided byGogo Wi-Fi service. The service allowsWi-Fi enabled devices to connect to the Internet. Delta had the mostWi-Fi equipped fleet, with 500aircraft offering Wi-Fi.[37]In 2019, some airlines removed seatback screens, saving money by streaming video to passenger personalmobile devices.[38]
As a general rule, mobile phone use while airborne is usually not just prohibited by the carrier, but also by regulatory agencies in the relevant jurisdiction (e.g. FAA and FCC in the US). However, with added technology, some carriers nonetheless allow the use of mobile phones on selected routes.
Emirates became the first airline to allow mobile phones to be used during flight. Using the systems supplied by telecom companyAeroMobile, Emirates launched the service commercially on 20 March 2008.[39]Installed first on an Airbus A340-300, AeroMobile is presently operating across the entire Emirates fleet of Boeing 777s and Airbus A380s.[40]
Ryanair had previously aimed to become the first airline to enable mobile phone use in flight, but did not launch its system commercially until February 2009.[41] The system was set up on 22 737-800 jets based atDublin Airport, and had been fitted on Ryanair's 200+ fleet of 737-800 jets by 2010.
OnAir offersinflight mobile connectivity to a range of airlines through itsGSM network, which connects to ground infrastructure via an InmarsatSwiftBroadband satellite providing consistent global coverage.
Virgin Australia also had an onboard Wi-Fi service, free on alldomestic flights, paid on international flights. After their takeover by Bain capital, Virgin Australia discontinued live Internet access.
China Airlines andSingapore Airlines also have similar Wi-Fi services, charge according to time used.
As of 2024[update],SpaceX andOneWeb were testing low Earth-orbit satellites, withAmazon seeking approval for more, and other companies were working onHAPS prototypes.[citation needed] Aircraft-based connectivity upstarts includingSimi Valley,AWN andAeronet Global Communications Services had been reducing operations as of 2019.[42]
