In-flight entertainment (
IFE) refers to the entertainment available to aircraft passengers during a flight. In 1936, the airship
Hindenburg offered passengers a piano, lounge, dining room,
smoking room, and bar during the 2½ day flight between Europe and America. After the
Second World War, IFE was delivered in the form of food and drink services, along with an occasional projector movie during lengthy flights. In 1985 the first
personal audio player was offered to passengers, along with
noise cancelling headphones in 1989. During the 1990s the demand for better IFE was a major factor in the design of aircraft cabins. Before then, the most a passenger could expect was a movie projected on a screen at the front of a cabin, which could be heard via a headphone socket at his or her
seat. Now, in most aircraft, private IFE TV screens are offered on most airlines.