Jetstar to use iPads for in-flight entertainment

Stuart Corner
Tuesday, 01 June 2010 10:35

Your IT - Entertainment

Jetstar is planning to trial the iPad as its on board entertainment device with the aim of offering it on all domestic and international flights by the end of 2010.

The trials will begin later in June on selected domestic routes across Australia. The iPads will provide movies, TV programmes, eBooks, music videos, games and CDs, for a $10 per flight rental fee.

Jetstar CEO, Bruce Buchanan said the company was expecting the service to prove extremely popular. "Based on demand for the iPads'¦we'll be looking to roll out the devices across our entire domestic and international network later in the year."


Jetstar is working with in-flight entertainment specialist Bluebox Avionics and Stellar In-flight to implement the trial. Bluebox announced in April that it had ported its Bluebox lite PC based in-flight entertainment system to the iPad.

Joint MD, Rick Stuart, said: "This device sits very neatly within our current range of portables that carry the Bluebox software system. The iPad allows access to a huge range of applications that are already available for this device plus gives airline an opportunity to design their own.

"Bluebox Lite units have always been WiFi capable, ready to leverage the emergence of in cabin connectivity and passengers desire to be connected to the Internet. This device was specifically designed by Apple for this purpose so it was an easy decision to bring it into the Bluebox product family."

Jetstar told iTWire that the WiFi would be disabled for the trial.