Kingfisher Airlines (India) Biggest Crowd Puller?

What is upstart Kingfisher Airlines betting its fleet of A320-200's on? (Besides India's booming market economy.) You guessed it: In-flight Entertainment.

The carrier's in-flight entertainment is expected to be the biggest crowd-puller, as it would be the only airliner ferrying in the (Indian) domestic sector having an in-cabin entertainment system.

All Kingfisher aircraft have been equipped with a personal video screen for every seat, with 10 channels of audio and five channels of video in every seat screen with personalised headphones. Even though in-flight entertainment is the norm in international flights, this is the first time an Indian airline servicing only on domestic sectors would provide this kind of entertainment.

But Kingfisher takes it one step further.

Apart from offering in-flight entertainment on demand, "funliners" will also offer in-flight silent auctions for lifestyle products and in-flight sales of dry packaged food and beverages.

Hmm, dry packed food and beverages, in-flight silent auctions, in-flight entertainme-- Hey, wait a second! Did they say in-flight auctions?! Now that is something I can't wait to try. Logistically speaking, the chaos-to-profit margin far exceeds even...

Seriously, it looks like a fun airline. Who can go wrong with a chairman like this?

Look at him ham it up and wave the geo fingers! Those pretty call center babes are totally excited to join their American sisters in flight service. Kingfisher is, after all, one of India's largest beer brands.

Source links: The Hindu Business Line, Sanjeev Nair, Kaushal Karkhanis.

Update September 6 2005: Direct link to Kingfisher Airlines in-flight entertainment page.

¶ 9:00 PM