Passengers on board Singapore Airlines’ new Boeing 777-300ER aircraft flying between London and Singapore are the first to trial a new geo-entertainment product from the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG).
SQ has begun trialling the product on a single Boeing 777-300ER operating between London Heathrow and Singapore, and will decide later this year whether to roll it out across other aircraft types and destinations.
The content is integrated into the moving-map feature of the latest version of Singapore Airlines’ KrisWorld in-flight entertainment system, across First, Business and Economy classes.
The Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) has also been instrumental in establishing geo-entertainment as an important trend in the in-flight entertainment industry, and Singapore Airlines is the first airline to include this service to benefit their customers.
The Society has developed the Hidden Journeys service with Airborne Interactive, an in-flight entertainment software company and leading geo-entertainment provider.
Hidden Journeys content provides passengers with real-time information about the fascinating parts of the world they are flying over.
Points of interest along the journey are illustrated with eye-catching images, including historic ones from the Society’s rich collections, and explained with expert text.
On the flight path from London to Singapore, passengers will learn, for example, about Agra and the fascinating history of the Taj Mahal, the beautiful Andaman Islands, the mountainous Caucasus and – closer to home – how the English Channel came to exist.
Dr Rita Gardner, the Society’s Director says: “It is a joy to share geographical knowledge and the wonders of our modern world to bring the moving map, and indeed the journey, alive for passengers. Between take-off and landing we often forget just how many different places, cultures and landscapes that we cross. I am delighted that we have the opportunity to work in partnership with Singapore Airlines to realise this ambition.”
Michael Palin, Immediate Past President of the Society, says: “Hidden Journeys is, literally, about seeing the world. And you’ll never want an aisle seat again.”