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 KaiserAirExiGent 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 CityJetAgency Fish, whose main client is Qatar Airways, Srilankan Airlines and Garuda IndonesiaMotivate Publishing, which produces the inflight magazine for Emirates Airline, Open Skies, and Emirates' business- and first-class magazine, PortfolioCedar Communications, which produces British Airways High Life, First Life and Business LifeG+J Corporate Editors, which produces Lufthansa Magazin, Lufthansa Woman's world, Lufthansa exclusive and Holland HeraldLagardere France, whose main airline client is Air FranceSubcontinental 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 AirgiO 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 AustraliaIMM 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 : enRouteAir North : Yukon, North of OrdinaryAir Transat: AtmospherePorter Airlines : re:PorterWestjet : UP!Aeroméxico : Aire and AccentMexicana de Aviación : VUELO (defunct)TAESA : Caminos (defunct)vivaAerobus : enVIVAVolaris : V de VolarisAirTran Airways : GO (defunct)Alaska Airlines : Alaska Airlines MagazineAmerican Airlines : American Way, CL (Celebrated Living) - business class / NEXOS - Latin American flightsContinental Airlines : ContinentalPacific (defunct)Delta Air Lines : Sky MagazineHawaiian Airlines : Hana Hou!KaiserAir Inc. : KA ConfidentialNorthwest Airlines : World Traveler (defunct)Pan American World Airways : Clipper Magazine (defunct)SeaPort Airlines : Cloud 9 magazineSouthwest Airlines : Southwest Airlines Spirit magazineSpirit Airlines : SkylightsUnited Airlines : Hemispheres, Rhapsody - first and business class magazinesAerolíneas Argentinas : Aerolineas Argentinas Magazine (formerly, Alta), Cielos ArgentinosAeroméxico : escalaGrupo TACA : EXPLORE Magazine (defunct)LAN Airlines : in, inWines, inPremiereLATAM Airlines : "Vamos / LATAM"Varig : Ícaro (defunct)Adria Airways : Adria Airways Inflight MagazineAegean Airlines : BlueAer Lingus : CaraAeroflot : Aeroflot, Aeroflot Premium, Aeroflot StyleairBaltic: Baltic OutlookAir Berlin : Air Berlin MagazineAir France : Air France Magazine (Bon Voyage) , "Air France Madame" - business class,Air Moldova : Altitude Inflight MagazineAirClub : AirClub MagazineAlitalia : UlisseBlue Panorama Airlines : Mondo in Bluebmi : Voyagerbmibaby : yeahbaby (defunct)British Airways : High Life, Business Life - business class, First Life - first classBrussels Airlines : b.there!, b.spirit! - long haulCroatia Airlines: Croatia MagazineeasyJet : easyJet TravellerFinnair : Blue WingsFlybe Group PLC : Business UncoveredGermanwings : GWIberia : Ronda,ExcelenteJet2.com: JetAway MagazineJet Airlines; Jetwings Domestic and Jetwings International KLM : Holland HeraldLOT Polish Airlines: KaleidoscopeLufthansa : Lufthansa Magazin, Woman's World, Lufthansa ExclusivMartinair : MMeridiana: AtmosphereMonarch Airlines : PassportNordstar : Летать легко (Easy to fly)Norwegian Air Shuttle : n MagazinePrivatAir : PrivatAir MagazineRyanair : Let's Go MagazineS7 Airlines : S7 MagazineScandinavian Airlines System : Scandinavian TravelerTAP Air Portugal : UPTAROM : Insight, SkyLadyThomas Cook : Thomas Cook Travel Magazine, Thomas Cook EmporiumThomson Airways : InflightTurkish Airlines : Sky LifeWind Jet : Check-OutWizz Air : Wizz MagazineWOW air : WOW magazine Air Algérie : TassiliAir Arabia Maroc: Nawras (Moroccan Edition)Arik Air : WingsEgyptair : HorusEthiopian Airlines : selamtaFly Africa : Fly Africa MagazineSouth African Airways : sawubonaTAAG : AustralLAM : ÍndicoANA : WingspanAir China: Wings of ChinaAir India : Shubh Yatra MagazineAir Macau : Air Macau MagazineAir Mandalay : Air Mandalay - Golden FlightAirAsia : Travel 3SixtyBangkok Airways : Fah ThaiBatik Air : BatikBiman Bangladesh Airlines : BihangaCathay Pacific : DiscoveryCebu Pacific : SmileChina Airlines : DynastyChina Southern Airlines: NiHao (English), Gateway 南方航空 (Chinese), Elite (Chinese)Citilink : LinkedEVA Air : enVoyageGaruda Indonesia : ColoursGoAir: GoGetter magazineKalstar Aviation : KalstarKorean Air : Morning Calm, BeyondJapan Airlines : SkywardJetstar Airways : Jetstar Asia / Jetstar JapanLion Air : LionmagMalaysia Airlines : Going PlacesMalindo Air : MalindomagNok Air : JibjibPakistan International Airlines : HumsafarPAL Express : La IslaPhilippine Airlines : Mabuhay MagazineSingapore Airlines : SilverKrisSpiceJet : SpiceRouteSriLankan Airlines : SerendibSriwijaya Air : SriwijayaThai Airways International : SawasdeeThai Smile : WE SmileTiger Airways : Tiger Tales Asia / Tiger Tales PhilippinesTruJet: Trujetter magazineTurboJet : HorizonVietnam Airlines : Heritage (monthly), Heritage Fashion (monthly starting 15th day of the month), Heritage Japan (quarterly)Vistara: Vistara MagazineWings Air : WingsZest Airways : Zest MagazineAir Arabia: NawrasEl Al : AtmosphereEmirates : Open Skies and Portfolio for business and first class.Etihad Airways : Etihad Inflight and Aspireflynas : flynas magazineGulf Air : Gulf LifeJazeera Airways : J MagazineKuwait Airways : Al-BuraqOman Air : Wings of OmanQatar Airways : OryxRoyal Jordanian : Royal WingsSafi Airways : Safi Airways Inflight MagazineSaudi Airlines : Ahlan WasahlanSaudigulf: Saudi Gulf magazineAir New Zealand : Kia OraJetstar Airways : Jetstar AustraliaQantas : QANTAS The Australian WayTiger Airways: Tiger Tales AustraliaVirgin Australia : VoyeurCaribbean Airlines : Caribbean BeatQuite 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.
