An inflight magazine (or in-flight magazine) is a free magazine distributed via the seats of an airplane by an airline company.
Many airline companies produce inflight magazines to provide details about their fleet, as well as articles about destinations or other interesting information.
Inflight publishing is an unusual niche in the magazine world. Airline titles have minimal distribution costs, and readership figures come from existing passenger traffic. Most airlines use external publishers to produce their magazines, and Ink is currently the world's leading company in this sector.
More than 80% of passengers read the magazines airlines place in front of them, and readers average around 30 minutes a flight with the magazines, according to Arbitron. Despite the challenges facing the publishing industry, this is a healthy sector, and on a large scale, inflight magazines have suffered less than magazines overall.
While the quality of inflight magazines varies widely, their upscale, captive readership appeals to advertisers, particularly luxury-goods makers targeting men.
History and evolution
The first inflight magazine was that of Pan American World Airways, whereas the longest running inflight magazine is KLM's Holland Herald, first published in January 1966. The inflight market has grown in recent years, and there are currently over 150 inflight magazines titles.
Moreover, since the birth of digital technology, most airlines are distributing their magazines digitally via tablet computer applications, or over the internet.
Among specialized publishers are
Maxposure Media Group, which produces Shubh Yatra magazine for Air India, Spice Route magazine for SpiceJet Airlines, Vistara Magazine for Vistara Airline (JV between Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines), GoGetter magazine, Inflight magazine for GoAir India, Trujetter magazine, inflight magazine for TruJet Airlines, Fly Smiles, Inflight magazine of Air Pegasus, Gulf Life magazine for Gulf Air out of Bahrain, Nawras magazine for Air Arabia in Sharjah and Morocco, Saudi Gulf magazine for Saudigulf Airlines in Saudi Arabia. It has its own operation in India, Bangladesh, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, South Africa and Singapore and sales network in over 20 countries. It is the largest custom & Inflight magazine publisher in Asia. It publishes over in over 20 languages and offers strong Mobile App, Digital (Website) and Social media platforms to it's aviation clients.
Ink is a global media company specialising in content and advertising for the travel sector, headquartered in London. The company works with over 27 airline, rail and hotel partners worldwide (including American Airlines, United, easyJet, Iberia, and Norwegian), with offices in London, Atlanta, Dallas, New York, Miami, São Paulo and Singapore. Ink produces over 25 inflight magazines in 18 languages, and airline mobile apps for their travel partners. Ink offers advertising across magazines, and passenger travel documents (print-at home boarding passes, booking confirmation emails), in airline mobile apps and online properties. Their media channels reach over 783 million passengers every year.
GroupSixPro, producing KAConfidential | The Exclusive In-flight Magazine of KaiserAir
ExiGent Magazine is the official and exclusive in-flight magazine of several airlines specialized in business jets throughout Europe and Africa. ExiGent Magazine also is the corporate magazine of one of the largest luxury real estate agencies. The company works actually with 6 airline & real estate agency partners. (including Afrijet Business Service, Dassault Falcon Service, Jet Net Alliance, Helipass, Coldwell Banker France et Monaco and Sparfell and Partners). ExiGent Magazine produces 6 inflight magazines in 2 languages, French and English.
Spafax, a multinational editorial and content marketing company based in London, Montréal and Toronto with more than 70 clients around the world. Its 13 offices worldwide - London, Toronto, Montréal, Santiago, Lima, Dubai, Frankfurt, Madrid, Kuala Lumpur, Miami, New York, California, Singapor - produce magazines and IFE products for clients such as British Airways, Air Canada, LAN, and Malaysia Airlines.
Spenta Multimedia: (Jetwings Docmestic and International) JetWings Domestic, the in-flight monthly magazine of Jet Airways – India’s largest airline – offers its readers in-depth knowledge of India. It not only highlights travel, but also unique cultural traditions, music, art, cinema, food and contemporary design. Each feature tells a story through interesting, offbeat angles, that reveal something unusual about a destination beyond what guidebooks or newspaper supplements offer. It has a Print Run of 3,25,000 copies per month and a Readership of nearly 16,00,000 every month. The quality of JETWINGS can be gauged by the fact that the magazine was adjudged second runner -up in the in-flight magazine category across the world at the 18th annual Avion Awards held in Sept 2006 by the World Airline Association ( WAEA ) at Florida, USA - a first for any in- flight magazine published from India. JetWings International is a sure-fire method of getting the attention of globe-trotting consumers, expanding businesses globally and making an impact in newmarkets, but at the same time exploring the world and enjoying life. For the past six years, JetWings International has grown in popularity among readers and advertisers alike. Currently, JetWings International enjoys a monthly readership of over 6,00,000 passengers aboard Jet Airways flights to over 24 international destinations, South Africa being the 24th.
Stream, producing around 10 inflight magazines, including Flybe and CityJet
Agency Fish, whose main client is Qatar Airways, Srilankan Airlines and Garuda Indonesia
Motivate Publishing, which produces the inflight magazine for Emirates Airline, Open Skies, and Emirates' business- and first-class magazine, Portfolio
Cedar Communications, which produces British Airways High Life, First Life and Business Life
G+J Corporate Editors, which produces Lufthansa Magazin, Lufthansa Woman's world, Lufthansa exclusive and Holland Herald
Lagardere France, whose main airline client is Air France
Subcontinental Media Group, whose main airline clients are Biman Bangladesh Airlines from Bangladesh and Fly Africa Airlines in South Africa. It publishes Bihanga Magazine for Biman and Flyafrica.com Magazine for Fly Africa. It has own offices in Dhaka (Bangladesh), New Delhi, Kolkata in India and Johannesburg in South Africa. SMG has a sales network in over 15 key countries in Europe, Asia, and the Americas.
Bentang Media Nusantara, whose main airline clients are Lion Air, Wings Air and Batik Air
giO media (inflight specialist for Benelux, Cyprus and Middle East markets), representing, recommending and centralizing all aspects of Inflight media. It is working for over 75% of all the airlines worldwide, such as British Airways, Air France, KLM, United-Continental, Emirates and Virgin Australia
IMM International (inflight marketing bureau for France, Switzerland, UK, Italy and China markets), representing, recommending and centralizing all aspects of Inflight media. It works with 150 airlines worldwide (more than 200 magazines)
The Media Ant, representing, recommending and centralizing all aspects of a few airlines. It works with 3 of 12 of the airlines in the country, such as IndiGo, Jetwings and Air Costa.
Air Canada : enRoute
Air North : Yukon, North of Ordinary
Air Transat: Atmosphere
Porter Airlines : re:Porter
Westjet : UP!
Aeroméxico : Aire and Accent
Mexicana de Aviación : VUELO (defunct)
TAESA : Caminos (defunct)
vivaAerobus : enVIVA
Volaris : V de Volaris
AirTran Airways : GO (defunct)
Alaska Airlines : Alaska Airlines Magazine
American Airlines : American Way, CL (Celebrated Living) - business class / NEXOS - Latin American flights
Continental Airlines : ContinentalPacific (defunct)
Delta Air Lines : Sky Magazine
Hawaiian Airlines : Hana Hou!
KaiserAir Inc. : KA Confidential
Northwest Airlines : World Traveler (defunct)
Pan American World Airways : Clipper Magazine (defunct)
SeaPort Airlines : Cloud 9 magazine
Southwest Airlines : Southwest Airlines Spirit magazine
Spirit Airlines : Skylights
United Airlines : Hemispheres, Rhapsody - first and business class magazines
Aerolíneas Argentinas : Aerolineas Argentinas Magazine (formerly, Alta), Cielos Argentinos
Aeroméxico : escala
Grupo TACA : EXPLORE Magazine (defunct)
LAN Airlines : in, inWines, inPremiere
LATAM Airlines : "Vamos / LATAM"
Varig : Ícaro (defunct)
Adria Airways : Adria Airways Inflight Magazine
Aegean Airlines : Blue
Aer Lingus : Cara
Aeroflot : Aeroflot, Aeroflot Premium, Aeroflot Style
airBaltic: Baltic Outlook
Air Berlin : Air Berlin Magazine
Air France : Air France Magazine (Bon Voyage) , "Air France Madame" - business class,
Air Moldova : Altitude Inflight Magazine
AirClub : AirClub Magazine
Alitalia : Ulisse
Blue Panorama Airlines : Mondo in Blue
bmi : Voyager
bmibaby : yeahbaby (defunct)
British Airways : High Life, Business Life - business class, First Life - first class
Brussels Airlines : b.there!, b.spirit! - long haul
Croatia Airlines: Croatia Magazine
easyJet : easyJet Traveller
Finnair : Blue Wings
Flybe Group PLC : Business Uncovered
Germanwings : GW
Iberia : Ronda,Excelente
Jet2.com: JetAway Magazine
Jet Airlines; Jetwings Domestic and Jetwings International
KLM : Holland Herald
LOT Polish Airlines: Kaleidoscope
Lufthansa : Lufthansa Magazin, Woman's World, Lufthansa Exclusiv
Martinair : M
Meridiana: Atmosphere
Monarch Airlines : Passport
Nordstar : Летать легко (Easy to fly)
Norwegian Air Shuttle : n Magazine
PrivatAir : PrivatAir Magazine
Ryanair : Let's Go Magazine
S7 Airlines : S7 Magazine
Scandinavian Airlines System : Scandinavian Traveler
TAP Air Portugal : UP
TAROM : Insight, SkyLady
Thomas Cook : Thomas Cook Travel Magazine, Thomas Cook Emporium
Thomson Airways : Inflight
Turkish Airlines : Sky Life
Wind Jet : Check-Out
Wizz Air : Wizz Magazine
WOW air : WOW magazine
Air Algérie : Tassili
Air Arabia Maroc: Nawras (Moroccan Edition)
Arik Air : Wings
Egyptair : Horus
Ethiopian Airlines : selamta
Fly Africa : Fly Africa Magazine
South African Airways : sawubona
TAAG : Austral
LAM : Índico
ANA : Wingspan
Air China: Wings of China
Air India : Shubh Yatra Magazine
Air Macau : Air Macau Magazine
Air Mandalay : Air Mandalay - Golden Flight
AirAsia : Travel 3Sixty
Bangkok Airways : Fah Thai
Batik Air : Batik
Biman Bangladesh Airlines : Bihanga
Cathay Pacific : Discovery
Cebu Pacific : Smile
China Airlines : Dynasty
China Southern Airlines: NiHao (English), Gateway 南方航空 (Chinese), Elite (Chinese)
Citilink : Linked
EVA Air : enVoyage
Garuda Indonesia : Colours
GoAir: GoGetter magazine
Kalstar Aviation : Kalstar
Korean Air : Morning Calm, Beyond
Japan Airlines : Skyward
Jetstar Airways : Jetstar Asia / Jetstar Japan
Lion Air : Lionmag
Malaysia Airlines : Going Places
Malindo Air : Malindomag
Nok Air : Jibjib
Pakistan International Airlines : Humsafar
PAL Express : La Isla
Philippine Airlines : Mabuhay Magazine
Singapore Airlines : SilverKris
SpiceJet : SpiceRoute
SriLankan Airlines : Serendib
Sriwijaya Air : Sriwijaya
Thai Airways International : Sawasdee
Thai Smile : WE Smile
Tiger Airways : Tiger Tales Asia / Tiger Tales Philippines
TruJet: Trujetter magazine
TurboJet : Horizon
Vietnam Airlines : Heritage (monthly), Heritage Fashion (monthly starting 15th day of the month), Heritage Japan (quarterly)
Vistara: Vistara Magazine
Wings Air : Wings
Zest Airways : Zest Magazine
Air Arabia: Nawras
El Al : Atmosphere
Emirates : Open Skies and Portfolio for business and first class.
Etihad Airways : Etihad Inflight and Aspire
flynas : flynas magazine
Gulf Air : Gulf Life
Jazeera Airways : J Magazine
Kuwait Airways : Al-Buraq
Oman Air : Wings of Oman
Qatar Airways : Oryx
Royal Jordanian : Royal Wings
Safi Airways : Safi Airways Inflight Magazine
Saudi Airlines : Ahlan Wasahlan
Saudigulf: Saudi Gulf magazine
Air New Zealand : Kia Ora
Jetstar Airways : Jetstar Australia
Qantas : QANTAS The Australian Way
Tiger Airways: Tiger Tales Australia
Virgin Australia : Voyeur
Caribbean Airlines : Caribbean Beat
Quite similar to inflight magazines, some railroad companies offer a comparable product aboard their long distance trains, e.g. Deutsche Bahn's mobil or Indian Railways'
s Rail Bandhu magazine. . This magazine is also distributed via the seats of the passenger cars.
