THE latest evolution in in-flight entertainment allows you to access movies and TV shows from your iPad.

The brainchild of US carrier American Airlines, the new product will allow customers to purchase and wirelessly stream movies and TV shows from an in-flight library to personal WiFi-enabled devices like iPads and laptops during the flight.

Partnering with airline WiFi providers Aircell, they are currently testing the new in-flight video system on two Boeing 767-200 aircrafts in transcontinental service, with plans to begin customer testing in June.

“We know our customers want to be connected on the ground and in the sky, so we are working hard to stay on the leading edge of connectivity through technology enhancements like this,” the airline’s Vice President of Marketing Rob Friedman said.

The in-flight video system will operate using the airline’s existing WiFi connection, enabled by three small antennas installed outside each aircraft which connect to Aircell’s nationwide mobile broadband network.

American Airlines are the first domestic airline in America to test in-flight streaming video content. They launched in-flight WiFi in 2008, and will continue outfitting their domestic planes with WiFi throughout this year.

The airline has previously developed several mobile applications, including an iPhone app that tells you if your flight is equipped with WiFi, and paper-free mobile boarding passes.

 HAVE YOUR SAY:What piece of modern tech could you not do without on your travels? Has new technology changed travel for better or worse?

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