November 14, 2006: Apple teams up with a slew of airlines to offer the “first seamless integration” between iPods and in-flight entertainment systems.
A special dock will let iPod owners use the devices to play music and videos on planes’ seat-back displays. The plan promises to rid the world of old-fashioned in-flight movies and printed magazines.
In-flight iPods go up, up and away
The iPod, a portable music machine that famously put “1,000 songs in your pocket,” became a breakout hit for Apple in the first years of the 21st century. But it was more than just a hot-selling product. It was a harbinger of both the iPhone and of the digital revolution that would disrupt the media industry and radically change the way people bought and enjoyed everything from music and books to movies and TV shows.
Apple CEO Steve Jobs introduced the first iPod on October 23, 2001, and the company quickly iterated on its hit MP3 player. New iPod models ramped up storage capacity and added the ability to play games and videos, and — along with the iTunes Music Store — retooled the music industry for the digital age.
Apple’s November 14, 2006, announcement about integrating the iPod into airplanes for in-flight entertainment covered six airlines: Air France, Continental, Delta, Emirates, KLM and United. All of them, Apple claimed, would offer iPod seat connections starting in mid-2007, with other airlines to follow.
“There is no better traveling companion than an iPod, and now travelers can power their iPods during flight and even watch their iPod movies and TV shows on their seat back displays,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s vice president of worldwide iPod product marketing, in a press release. “We’re excited to work with Air France, Continental, Delta, Emirates, KLM and United to offer iPod users an even better in-flight experience.”
A brief controversy followed after KLM and Air France wavered on the promise. “It’s way too early to confirm any such details,” an Air France spokeswoman told Reuters. A KLM spokesman said, “It’s very premature what Apple are saying.”
Both suggested that — while preliminary talks had taken place — no deal had yet been struck. “We have no idea if this is technically feasible, if it’s financially viable, or if customers want it,” KLM’s rep said.
Nonetheless, Apple said it would proceed with its other partners.
iPods on airplanes: The mile-high iClub
Photo: Microsoft
In the aftermath, analysts discussed how big an impact the iPod docks would have. Would they encourage flyers to choose particular airlines? In theory, participating airlines could benefit from the same “halo effect” as Apple products.
While Apple sold millions of iPods, the wide range of accessories for the popular music player was perhaps even more astonishing.
“The iPod ecosystem continues to flourish with more than 3,000 accessories made specifically for iPod that range from fashionable cases to speaker systems,” Apple’s press release said. It noted that more than 70% of U.S. automobiles produced in 2007 offered iPod connectivity.
However, despite the music player’s widespread adoption, adding iPods to airplanes hit some turbulence. Another controversy erupted after the revelation that the docking stations wouldn’t work with Microsoft’s Zune music player.
Microsoft’s newly launched iPod competitor never found traction in the marketplace. And the Zune’s incompatibility with the airplane docks showed that, just a decade after Microsoft’s heyday, the company was losing the tech culture wars with Apple. (Microsoft abandoned the Zune in 2012, allowing it to die a slow death.)
It also took years for the airlines to implement the iPod docks. Panasonic Avionics began licensing its iPod connectivity tool eXport for in-flight entertainment in 2009. But by the time iPod connectivity rolled out to fleets, the music player’s proprietary 30-pin connector was not long for this world. Apple killed the 30-pin connector in 2012 with the launch of the iPhone 5.
“Just as the aviation industry started to roll out eXport-enabled seats that had taken half a decade to certify and produce, Apple replaced the 30-pin connector with Lightning,” according to Runway Girl Network. “Much as hotels’ docking speaker systems became useless in a couple of years, so did the eXports — many of which are still flying today.”
Apple gear on airplanes
Today, Apple technology continues to transform air travel. Flyers watch videos, read books and listen to music and podcasts on iPads, iPhones and MacBooks. They typically do so with AirPods in their ears. And they pay for in-flight drinks with Apple Pay.
Sometimes, they don’t even need to bring their own devices. (Australia’s Qantas Airways began offering iPads for in-flight entertainment on its Jetstar flights as early as 2010.) Plus, travelers now flash digital boarding passes from their iPhones and Apple Watches at security checkpoints and jetway entrances. iBeacons also sometimes make air travel easier and more seamless than ever.
Many pilots use Apple devices as well. American Airlines ditched heavy flight manuals in 2013 in favor of iPads. In a move designed to save more than $1 million in fuel costs each year, American became the first major commercial carrier to introduce iPads to all its cockpits.
With the last iPod model discontinued in 2022, the groundbreaking music players might be a practically forgotten part of Apple’s product lineup. However, this “Today in Apple history” installment reminds us what an iconic product the iPod was at one point. And how almost everyone (KLM and Air France possibly excepted!) got on the bandwagon.
Luke Dormehl is a U.K.-based journalist and author, with a background working in documentary film for Channel 4 and the BBC. He is the author of The Apple Revolution and The Formula: How Algorithms Solve All Our Problems … and Create More, both published by Penguin/Random House. His tech writing has also appeared in Wired, Fast Company, Techmeme and other publications.
