Air Travel

Air New Zealand keeps entertaining

By BBT / 18 June 2008

ANZ passengers can now enjoy uninterrupted entertainment

Air New Zealand passengers flying to and from London Heathrow to Los Angeles, Hong Kong or Auckland will be the first to use a new service which allows access to the in-flight entertainment system from boarding until landing.

Previously the entertainment system could not be turned on until the aircraft was airborne and was turned off again when cabin crew prepared to land.

Air New Zealand”s short haul fleet of Boeing 767 and A320 aircraft will be fitted with new on-demand touch screen entertainment providing the same boarding to landing entertainment facilities. All Air New Zealand”s international short and long-haul aircraft will have personal seat-back entertainment by December.

Departure and arrival procedures have been reworked to accommodate safety briefings and in-flight announcements, which pause the entertainment system, as well as other operational requirements.

”Customers can spend a significant amount of time in their seat prior to departure,” said Air New Zealand European general manager Scott Carr, ”especially with the time it takes to board a wide-body aircraft seating more than 300 people.

”There is also the time when the aircraft is waiting for air traffic control clearance to land in the descent, when passengers would not previously have had access to the entertainment system. It also makes for a very quiet cabin prior to take off.”