Ryanair's chief executive, Mr Michael O'Leary, says he hopes to make "enormous sums of money" from charging passengers to view films and television programmes on flights. Liam Reid reports.
Launching a new in-flight entertainment system yesterday, which will be available on all Ryanair flights from next March, Mr O'Leary said the company expected to increase profits by €14 million a year. Passengers will initially have a "special introductory offer price" of €7 a flight to access films, cartoons and TV programmes on flights.
Unlike the standard built-in entertainment system on many long-haul flights, Ryanair passengers will be able to hire portable laptop-style machines on a first-come-first-served basis.
The units will be introduced on five routes out of Stansted airport on a trial basis in November. If successful, the company plans to buy 6,000 units and have them available on all flights by next March.
"We expect to make enormous sums of money from this," Mr O'Leary told a press conference in London yesterday. "The sky is the limit here, the potential is enormous. I think these things will become as common as the in-flight magazine."
Ryanair claims to be the first short-haul budget airline to offer an in-flight entertainment system.This is its latest attempt to maximise revenue from services and additional charges to its customers. It currently has one of the lowest baggage allowances of any major airline of 15 kg a person and charges up to €7 for every additional kilo, one of the highest surcharges in European aviation.