By James Wilkinson

Qantas’ trans-continental Australian flights will no longer be a 5-hour bore in economy, following the introduction of brand new Airbus A330-200 aircraft on flights to Perth that feature on-demand entertainment.

Qantas’ new domestic business class on the A330s

Available in all cabins on selected flights from Sydney, Melbourne and Perth, the new entertainment system is on par with what’s on offer from several leading airlines currently flying around the globe.

Qantas CEO Alan Joyce said what’s on offer aboard the A330s represents a new era of flying for the Qantas domestic experience.

“For the first time Qantas will operate a domestic aircraft featuring state-of-the-art in-seat entertainment for all customers,” Joyce said.

“The on-demand Panasonic eX2 system has over five hundred entertainment options including movies, TV programs, a CD library, games, a dedicated children’s section, plus Qantas Lonely Planet Guides as seen on the A380.

“Each seat offers touch screen functionality to enhance interactive capabilities,” he said.

The A330s are configured with 36 Business and 265 Economy seats and were once more styled by designer Marc Newson, who designed the award-winning cabins and seats of Qantas’ A380s.

Business class passengers will find new, wide seats that feature a cocktail table, ergonomic cushions and an extendable leg rest with fold out footrest.

Economy passengers also benefit, with an extra wide seat (at 18.1” inches), along with ergonomic seat cushioning and a seat base that moves in conjunction with the seat recline.

USB ports are also available in all cabins, as is power sockets for laptops.

Joyce said Qantas will continue to roll the in-flight entertainment product out on all new aircraft entering the domestic network.