In-Flight Entertainment ( IFE
) has brought hundreds of movies and series to the comfort of your screen when you fly. The
IFE screen that we see today
on most carriers was pioneered by Northwest Airlines
(NW) in the 1980s. The quality of the content currently offered on IFE depends upon the type of airline, but have you ever wondered which are the world’s largest in-flight entertainment screens? Let’s find out.
5
Singapore Airlines Airbus A380
The launch customer of the superjumbo
Singapore Airlines
(SQ) operates some of the longest Airbus A380 routes, including the 5,878-mile (10,887 km) journey between Singapore Changi Airport
(SIN) and London Heathrow Airport
(LHR).
The flag carrier of Singapore also operates a 5,552-mile (10,281 kilometer) journey between Singapore Changi Airport
and Frankfurt Airport
(FRA). One would naturally assume that a carrier that operates such long routes would have one of the largest IFEs, too.
Photo: Singapore Airlines
First class |
Business class |
Premium economy class |
Economy class |
---|---|---|---|
24 inches |
18 inches |
13.3 inches |
11 inches |
The first-class cabins on SIA offer IFE screens that are more than two times bigger than the ones you get in economy-class.
Singapore Airlines was the launch customer of the Airbus A380, and its
In-Flight Entertainment system, KrisWorld
, is often regarded as one of the best in the world. Although online shopping isn’t currently available on the IFEs of the A380s, SIA hopes that it will soon be a part of the aircraft:
“Singapore Airlines (SIA) will become the first airline to offer live online shopping on board its aircraft from 28 June 2021, when the KrisShop e-commerce platform becomes available via the KrisWorld in-flight entertainment (IFE) system. This service will initially be available on selected Airbus A350 aircraft, and progressively rolled out1 across the SIA network.”
4
Qatar Airways Airbus A380-800
The carrier offers virtual reality for IFE
IFE screens in the first-class cabins of Qatar Airways
(QR)’s Airbus A380
s are two inches bigger than those on Singapore Airlines’ first-class flights, though the IFE screens in the economy class are slightly smaller. Let’s look at the details:
First class |
Business class |
Premium economy class |
Economy class |
---|---|---|---|
26 inches |
17 inches |
N/A |
10.6 inches |
Photo: Qatar Airways
On the fourth-largest IFE screens in the world, Qatar gives access to 8,500 options for TV and audio programs and movie series. The airline also states that on-board Wi-Fi is also available for Privilege Club and Student Club members, though a few terms and conditions apply:
“In case of operational changes to scheduled aircraft, you can still use your voucher on other Qatar Airways flights that are enabled with on-board Wi-Fi within the access code validity period. The on-board Wi-Fi service is progressively being rolled out on all Qatar Airways aircraft. Please check whether this service is available on your upcoming flight.”
A few years ago, Qatar Airlines was also looking to
experiment with “virtual reality” for in-flight entertainment
. Qsuite and business class travelers on flights between Doha to Singapore and London could expect a novel IFE experience using VR headsets.
3
Emirates
The carrier that introduced subtitles on its IFEs
First class |
Business class |
Premium economy class |
Economy class |
---|---|---|---|
32 inches |
23 inches |
13.3 inches |
13.3 inches |
Emirates’ in-flight entertainment, in addition to having the third-largest screen on this list,
also changed IFE for good
. In 2007, one of the three big airlines in the Middle East, Emirates
(EK), introduced closed captioning and subtitling technology.
This carrier introduced the option of captions in around 12 languages in its IFEs. Commenting on the new technology, Patrick Brannelly, Emirates Vice President, Passenger Communications & Visual Services, said at the time:
“We endeavor to make these offerings accessible to the diverse group of travelers flying with us. Helping develop ‘on-demand’ closed captioning and subtitle technology allows us to offer our passengers more control over their entertainment choices.”
Photo: Emirates
Some of the perks in the
Information, Connectivity, and Entertainment (ICE) in-flight entertainment system
of Emirates include:
- Approximately 6,500 TV channels and more than 2,000 Hollywood and Bollywood movies.
- 3,000 albums, over 40,000 tracks, and 4,000 hours of music to stream.
2
All Nippon Airways
The IFE screen size on ANA’s first class and business class is the same as the carrier with the largest IFE screen on the list
First class |
Business class |
Premium economy class |
Economy class |
---|---|---|---|
43 inches |
24 inches |
10.6 inches |
10.6 inches |
The IFE screen size on the Boeing 777-300ER
operated by All Nippon Airways (NH) is the second-biggest in the industry. Its size on the premium economy class and economy class of this aircraft type are 5.6 inches, and 3.3 inches smaller than the carrier with the largest IFE screen size.
Photo: All Nippon Airways
In 2021, the carrier transitioned its in-flight magazine into a digital one, as the airline announced:
” We have transitioned to digital format for our ANA Group in-flight magazine ‘TSUBASA -GLOBAL WINGS-‘ and other onboard printed publications. It will be available on your own digital device via ANA mobile application. Newspapers will be enjoyable from July 1, 2021 in addition to ‘TSUBASA -GLOBAL WINGS-‘, and other various magazines (covering areas such as business, dining and sport).
On the IFE, ANA gives you access to audiobooks, traditional Japanese entertainment (Yose), and collaboration programs. You can also watch original ANA programs and international movies that haven’t premiered in Japan.
1
Japan Airlines
First-of-its-kind headset-free IFE
First class |
Business class |
Premium economy class |
Economy class |
---|---|---|---|
43 inches |
24 inches |
16 inches |
13.3 inches |
Japan Airlines
(JL) Airbus A350-1000
offers a screen size of 43 inches and 24 inches on first-class and business-class flights, respectively. These are the same as those on All Nippon Airways’ Boeing 777-330ERs. However, the screen size in economy class is the same as those on the economy class of Emirates, and the IFE screen size on the premium economy is bigger than any other carrier on the list.
Photo: Japan Airlines
In first class and business class, JAL offers in-seat speakers. After some tests, the carrier found out that the noise from these speakers barely went past the person’s own suite, and has been deployed regularly since. Additionally, JAL offers B&O noise-canceling headphones.