A new advertising vehicle, cleared for takeoff late next year, will promise a steady supply of captive eyeballs hungry for hours of distraction.
The Network Connection and Lockheed Martin Display Systems announced plans Thursday to develop an in-flight entertainment system called AirView.
AirView is a Local Area Network (LAN) for commercial aircraft, where a central server will tempt fidgety passengers with games, email and a selection of movies - some of which will carry ads.
Systems like AirView are part of a growing breed of in-flight entertainment networks that are being developed at the behest of airline carriers. These systems update the in-flight magazine, putting shopping services - and, in some countries, gambling - on in-flight network clients mounted in seatbacks.
"Our system allows for a new form of advertising," said Bryan Carr, chief financial officer for the Network Connection, echoing the same naive optimism heard in the early days of the Web.
Carr estimated that the system will generate roughly US$1 million per aircraft per year, depending on the types of pay-per-use services offered on the network. And that's not all. Third parties including Coca-Cola and IBM will be in there, furiously co-branding.
Content won't be a problem, said Carr. Time Warner has already come on board to provide entertainment. Carr said AirView is also courting Disney. These providers will be doing more than just movies - they'll take passengers to a Time Warner page that will let them browse through merchandise or select a show to view.
Nonetheless, advertisers will have to tread lightly, said Bob Johnson, senior vice president of Ketchum Interactive.
"There's a fine line between blatant commercialism and entertainment value," Johnson said.
