British Airways upgrades in-flight entertainment system

DETERMINED to make flying more comfortable for its passengers, British Airways has added tracks from the London Symphony Orchestra to its in-flight entertainment system.

This is just as the carrier has announced that it was expanding its African network by starting three weekly flights directly from London Heathrow to Durban, South Africa.

The service will be the only non-stop link between Europe and Durban and will be operated by the airline’s newest aircraft, the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner.

On the added tracks, the airline management said a selection of music from 10 London Symphony Orchestra albums are now available on board, spanning the classical, opera and choral genres.

The Orchestra performs tracks from world-renowned composers including Mozart, Verdi, Haydn, and Debussy among others. Customers will also recognise a number of tracks from Prokofiev’sRomeo and Juliet, the 1984 film Amadeus and Holst’s The Planets, one of the most popular and widely recognised musical works of the 20th century.

Reacting to the development, Kola Olayinka, British Airways’ Regional Commercial Manager for West Africa, said: “It’s a real pleasure to be adding music from the London Symphony Orchestra to our entertainment system, which gives customers even more choice on what they want to listen to or watch on board. They’re an example of brilliant British talent with a fascinating history, which we know our customers will enjoy regardless of whether they have listened to much orchestral music previously.”