Please enjoy this Op-Ed contribution from Tal Kalderon, who led EL AL’s inflight entertainment, content and connectivity strategy for two decades, and will enter consultancy at the end of the year.
After nearly 20 years at EL AL Israel Airlines, I will be concluding my role overseeing inflight entertainment, content, media and connectivity at the end of December 2026.
When I joined EL AL from the television industry, inflight entertainment was primarily about giving passengers something to watch. Over the years, I have witnessed a remarkable transformation, as the aircraft cabin has evolved into an increasingly connected digital environment.
Today, I believe we are approaching an even more significant change: the seatback screen is becoming much more than an entertainment system. It is evolving into a digital communication platform between the passenger and the airline throughout the flight.
Until recently, most digital interactions between airlines and passengers took place before departure or after arrival. During the flight, that relationship was much more limited.
Now, passengers on a growing number of airlines can log into their personal profiles directly through the seatback screen, check their loyalty points or miles, explore redemption opportunities, book their next flight, purchase upgrades or shop for duty free products.
The airline is no longer simply providing entertainment. It is maintaining an ongoing digital relationship with its passengers, even at 35,000 feet.
Bringing the home entertainment experience onboard
Personalization is another important part of this transformation.
We have become accustomed to streaming platforms that understand our preferences, recommend relevant content and remember exactly where we stopped watching. Why should the inflight experience be different?
Boarding an aircraft, passengers will increasingly find movies, television shows, music and podcasts tailored to their interests, and be able to continue watching a movie from the exact point where they stopped watching it on their previous flight.
The possibilities extend beyond entertainment. A wellness application might remind passengers to drink water, stretch, or practice breathing exercises during long flights, helping make the journey more comfortable.
Artificial intelligence takes personalization even further, but advanced capabilities often require the entertainment system to communicate with connected services.
Connecting legacy seatback systems to satellite networks is neither technically simple nor inexpensive. However, airlines should not wait for perfect connectivity. Creative software development, locally stored preferences, and cooperation with technology suppliers can already deliver meaningful improvements.
Connectivity is the enabler, not the destination
The growing adoption of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite networks and multi-orbit solutions, combined with the trend toward complimentary passenger Internet access, creates an exciting opportunity to connect seatback entertainment platforms to the outside world.
In my view, the first priority should be data rather than streaming.
Reliable connectivity can enable deeper personalization, loyalty integration, more relevant recommendations, real-time passenger information and advanced artificial intelligence applications.
In the longer term, it may also enable content delivery from streaming services directly to seatback screens, subject to technical integration and content licensing arrangements.
For airlines, the benefits extend beyond passenger satisfaction. Connected entertainment platforms can support ancillary revenue, targeted offers, more efficient content updates, system monitoring and remote diagnostics.
But faster Internet alone will not deliver these benefits. Airlines must also address system integration, cybersecurity, passenger privacy and operational requirements.
My advice to airlines
As airlines adopt next-generation LEO and multi-orbit inflight connectivity, my recommendation is to think beyond providing Internet access.
Connectivity should be part of a broader digital passenger experience strategy, connecting entertainment platforms with loyalty programs, airline applications and commercial services.
Airlines should involve their entertainment, digital, commercial and operational teams early in the planning process and work closely with technology providers to ensure flexibility and future integration.
Technology is advancing rapidly, sometimes faster than airlines can realistically implement it. Aircraft systems have long development cycles, strict certification requirements and significant investment considerations.
Nevertheless, the gap between the digital experience passengers enjoy on the ground and what they experience onboard is gradually narrowing. And that is excellent news for our industry.
For me, inflight entertainment has never been just about filling the hours between takeoff and landing. It is about creating an experience passengers genuinely enjoy and remember.
As I prepare to close my chapter at EL AL, I look forward to remaining active in the aviation industry as a consultant and entrepreneur, developing new content ventures and applications for inflight entertainment platforms.
After two decades at EL AL, I may be leaving the airline, but I am certainly not leaving the industry.
And I believe the most exciting chapter of inflight entertainment is still ahead of us.
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- Op-Ed: The legacy IFE debate — remove, replace or reinvent?
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- Press Release: EL AL introduces the future of its flight experience
Featured image credited to EL AL. Embedded image credited to Sharon Gabay
