Bloomberg reports that several foreign airlines, including ones in Singapore and Australia are experimenting by replacing the in seat television sets with $15 Ipad rentals. These Ipads will come preloaded with games, movies, shows, and other forms of entertainment, including web browsing. The elimination of in seat television sets will greatly reduce the carrying weight of planes, increasing flight speed and economize fuel consumption. On a Boeing 777, for example, shedding the screens saves 7% weight–even after adding 40% more seats. In a harder translation, airplanes without screens stand to be able to carry over a ton more fuel than the same planes with screens. US airlines seem a bit more hesitant to make such drastic changes. Delta is reportedly experimenting with dollar or less downloads of movies and games for passengers to use on their personal computers and devices. Some downloads may cost up to six dollars for more premium content, and it would be removed after the flight is over. Indian Airlines have started actually expanding their screens adding the touch screen technology of today’s smart phones, so I can’t say that the Ipad move marks a trend, yet. Current screen manufacturers like Panasonic haven’t shown concern over the fad yet, but with rising fuel costs, competing technology for alternative fuel sources(which necessitates lighter vehicles), will demand airline entertainment reform.
