[Archive 2013-08-31] Hawaiian Airlines announces iPad mini in-flight service

Historical archive — originally published 2013-08-31. This report records what was known on that date. It is not current news; subsequent events may have changed the situation. Wikinews closed in May 2026.

On Thursday Hawaiian Airlines announced all their Boeing 767-300 aircraft would be fitted with iPad mini tablets made by Apple for in-flight entertainment from September 1. The new gadget would be served on 14 routes connecting Hawaii with mainland USA, Asia, and the South Pacific.

Passengers in business class would be able to use the tablet for free while economy class 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 Hollywood movies.

The new service was planned to be introduced on flights connecting Honolulu with Oakland, San Jose, Sacramento, Seattle, Phoenix, Fukuoka, Sendai, Seoul, Brisbane, Papeete, and Pago Pago; and Kahului with San Jose, Oakland, and Seattle.

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

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