Hawaiian Airlines plans to offer passengers Apple's (NASDAQ: AAPL) iPad Minis so they can have access to in-flight entertainment, such as movies, TV shows and games, beginning Sept. 1, the airline announced Thursday.
The airline is deploying 1,500 iPad Minis on its B767 aircraft serving 14 routes between Hawaii and the U.S. mainland, Asia and the South Pacific.
Business class customers will receive the iPad Mini for free, while economy class passengers can pay $15 for an iPad Mini at the gate or $17 for it in-flight.
The airline has teamed with Bluebox Avionics, a provider of in-flight entertainment products, for the entertainment package.
The airline also has an in-flight entertainment system built into the back of the seats on the B767 aircraft; the iPad Minis will augment those systems, according to a report by AppleInsider.
Hawaiian Airlines claims it is the first U.S. airline to offer Apple iPad Minis for in-flight entertainment. However, other airlines have been using iPads and iPad 2s for in-flight entertainment since 2010, when Qantas' subsidiary Jetstar became the first airline to offer the iPad to passengers, according to airlinetrends.com.
Jetstar purchased 2,000 iPad 2s and began offering them for 10 Australian dollars on flights. The iPads were equipped with RFID tags that help prevent theft.
For more:
- check out the Hawaiian Airlines release
- read the AppleInsider report
- see the airlinetrends.com article
Related Articles:
Delta deploys 19,000 Nokia Lumia phones for on-board credit card processing
FAA may relax rules on use of electronic gadgets in flight
FCC takes step in right direction to improve in-flight broadband
A Boeing 767-300 of Hawaii Airlines in 2003. 

On Thursday  announced all their  aircraft would be fitted with   made by Apple for in-flight entertainment from September 1. The new gadget would be served on 14 routes connecting  with mainland , , and the .

Passengers in  would be able to use the tablet for free while  passengers would need to pay 15 when purchasing the service before boarding (or $17 if purchased during the flight). The airline offered such price with the help of Bluebox Avionics, a company specializing in in-flight services.

The airline has purchased 1,500 iPad minis to replace old in-flight entertainment devices. Each tablet would have at least 100 hours of new  movies.

The new service was planned to be introduced on flights connecting  with , , , , , , , , , , and ; and  with San Jose, Oakland, and Seattle.

The carrier becomes the first US airline to offer iPads as an in-flight service. In 2010 , a subsidiary of , became the first airline in the world to introduce such a service in a test pilot on two services from . During the next few years , , and  joined in. In March Qantas began offering iPads on flights connecting  and .