British Airways is set to run a trial that will enable travellers to watch films and television programmes on their own smartphones, tablets and laptops during flights.
The carrier will introduce this bring-your-own-device system on selected international services from London Heathrow, starting this month.
This marks the first time this has been trialled within the aviation sector, and could change the way British holidaymakers enjoy entertainment when travelling.
The complimentary streaming service could be the start of a move from traditional built-in screens, though the airline confirms these will continue operating throughout the testing period.
BRITISH AIRWAYS
|British Airways will run a trial that will enable travellers to watch films and television programmes on their own devices
The experimental programme will operate on three aircraft models: the Airbus A380, Boeing 787-9 and standard Boeing 777-200.
Travellers aboard these planes can access the airline's entertainment catalogue through the onboard wireless network for free, streaming content directly to their personal electronics.
The service requires passengers to connect their devices to the aircraft's dedicated entertainment system. While this will give access to the BA media library, general web browsing or messaging will not be available.
The standard displays will remain fully functional during the trial phase, and there are no immediate plans to remove these traditional screens, with the new system intended to supplement rather than substitute existing entertainment options.
This follows the lead of changes by other airlines. Carriers including American Airlines, Qantas and Etihad have already removed seatback displays from some aircraft, especially on shorter routes and smaller planes.
British Airways will monitor the success of the trial and, if it's a hit, it could roll out to more routes and aircraft types.
In more BA news, it recently announced new routes to excellent holiday destinations with year-round sun. It will introduce year-round services from Gatwick to Morocco's capital Rabat and the Austrian city of Graz from November 2025.
Meanwhile, BA Cityflyer will add 11 weekly flights between London City Airport and Madrid starting in December.
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|All three routes are on sale now, for travel during the upcoming winter season. BA Euroflyer's Gatwick-based operations will see the Airbus A320 fleet deployed on both new routes.
The Rabat service launches on November 5, 2025, operating twice weekly on Wednesdays and Sundays. Graz flights begin on November 21, 2025, running three times per week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
The Austrian route marks a big milestone as no other carrier currently offers direct flights between London and Graz.