Qantas to trial iPads for entertainment

Qantas will trial Apple iPads as the airline takes the first tentative steps towards introducing wireless technology for in-flight entertainment.

Qantas executive manager customer experience, Alison Webster, says the airline will devote one Boeing 767-300 to the trial, starting in October, with television shows, movies and music to be delivered to all passengers on a specially configured iPad.

Webster says the Australian flag carrier is the first airline in the world to trial the wireless product, which could lead to Qantas delivering all entertainment via wireless technology rather than personal seat-back television screens.

"Certainly that would be our end-game vision," Webster said on the sidelines of a media visit to the Boeing factory in Everett, Seattle, on Tuesday (US time).

"We see this as potentially being a breakthrough capability to be able to give more choice and more flexibility to customers' in-flight entertainment."

The Q Streaming app, which was developed with technology from Lufthansa System, had the potential to deliver all programs currently available on Qantas's A380 aircraft.

But Webster said the airline was still working on what content would be made available during the trial.

While the trial will use only Qantas issued iPads, Webster said the plan was for passengers to eventually use their own devices to access streamed content.

Another initiative under consideration was the ability to have movies or other television programs on personal devices available on playback even after leaving the aircraft to ensure passengers would be able to finish a program.

Webster said there were significant weight savings on aircraft that used wireless technology, compared with seat-back IFE systems.

"We are all focussed on fuel burn being environmentally friendly and we have huge commitments to sustainability targets," Webster said.

Meanwhile, Virgin Australia said wireless technology was one option for the airline's new entertainment system — part of chief executive John Borghetti's bid to take Australia's number two carrier upmarket — but offered no details.

Also, US-based carriers such as Virgin America, Southwest, United and American Airlines have announced plans to introduce or are currently streaming entertainment to passengers' personal devices on selected flights.

The reporter travelled to Seattle courtesy of Qantas and Boeing.

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