Iberia is to offer passengers virtual reality headsets for use in flight for a trial period on two routes.
The Spanish airline is starting a six month trial of the virtual reality headsets for IFE on its twice daily Airbus A350-900 flights between Madrid and New York JFK and the daily Airbus A330-200 between Madrid and Tel Aviv.
Passengers will be able to rent the devices and use them to view 3D content for games, films, documentaries and more.
Iberia has not yet announced the price details.
The headset supplier is Inflight VR, a company based in Munich and Barcelona.
Ignacio Toval, Iberia’s Digital Transformation Director:
“We learned about Inflight VR through Hangar 51, IAG’s start-up accelerator programme. Since 2017, we’ve been working together to develop a VR solution that can offer a new experience to our customers.
“An important aspect of Iberia’s digital transformation push lies in the incorporation of new technologies and digital innovation during the entire travel experience, from the moment they think about buying a ticket to arrival at the destination.”
Nikolas Jaeger, founder and managing director of Inflight VR:
“We think virtual reality has a great potential and it can change the air passenger experience as a part of the in-flight entertainment programme. The viewer is no longer a mere observer, but can take a stroll in the city he or she will be visiting, or simply relax before arriving at the destination.”
Iberia and Inflight entered into a six-month trial agreement. When the results are examined, a decision will be taken about expanding the service to other medium- and long-haul Iberia routes.
A number of airlines have trialled VR headsets in flight and in lounges. These include Sri Lankan, Etihad, Emirates and Qantas.
N.B. Image credit: Inflight VR
