Finnair is to bring in tablets for passenger use on new planes, replacing fixed screens in a bid to save on fuel costs. In addition to new income from paid services delivered on the tablets, the firm will reduce weight carried by removing the wiring attached to fixed screens.
That means big savings in fuel costs. The Wall Street Journal reports that Lufthansa estimated a typical in-flight entertainment system adds around 70,000 euros a year to the running costs of a Boeing 767.
Finnair is to offer the tablets on its five new A321 "Sharklet" planes. They will mainly be used on flights to the Canary Islands, with the first to enter service in November and the rest joining the Finnair fleet in the run-up to March. The Finnish carrier is the first in the world to run Sharklet planes.
As Finnair planes currently lack wireless internet connections, customers will not be able to read the news on their own devices. Instead they will have the opportunity to rent a tablet pre-loaded with magazines, newspapers, games and films.
