Emirates axes in-flight magazines to save weight on 'superjumbos'

Mon, 21 Jul 2008

Emirates is axing its in-flight publications in a bid to cut costs to help offset spiralling aviation fuel prices. The airline says the measure will save one tonne of weight on every "superjumbo" jet flight.

It says it will scrap its in-flight magazine, Open Skies, as well as entertainment guides and shopping catalogues. Instead, it will revamp the content of its in-flight entertainment system to offer news, features, information and shopping catalogues.

Open Skies is published by Motivate Publishing, a Gulf-based company, which has numerous regional magazines in its portfolio, including the Middle East edition of Hello!

Earlier this month, the airline installed a scaled-down version of the 555-seater Airbus A380 "superjumbo" on the entrance roundabout at Heathrow Airport. The site, which was previously occupied by a model British Airways Concorde, cost the airline a six-figure sum in a deal that will last six years. It is estimated 25 million people will pass the location every year.