Slumdog Millionaire is order of the day onboard Emirates

Slumdog Millionaire had its day at the Academy Awards, with eight Oscars sparking a surge at the box office this week that took worldwide sales over the $200million mark.

And now it is the order of the day among passengers on board Emirates airline flights who are able to watch it on their personal entertainment systems, even though film fans are still queuing up at cinemas across the globe to see this year’s must-see movie.

The feel-good film about how an orphan from the streets Mumbai defies all odds on the TV game show Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? is just one of up to 222 movies available onboard Emirates this month.

Also showing this month are the Oscar-nominated hits Changeling, starring Angelina Jolie, and Australia with Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman, as well as the latest Bond installment Quantum Of Solace and animation caper Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, featuring the voices of Ben Stiller and Chris Rock.

In addition to the latest releases from Hollywood, Bollywood, Asia and Arabia, Emirates features some of the greatest movies of all time, as well as a collection of Disney Classics such as High School Musical 3 and Wall-E.

Patrick Brannelly - Emirates’ Vice President, Passenger Communications and Visual Services - said: “Providing passengers with the chance to see the winner of this year’s Best Picture Oscar is an example of Emirates’ commitment to quality and choice for our passengers.

“Emirates’ ice system - which is now available in 80% of Emirates seats - is unparalleled in the industry and we continue to invest in the latest blockbusters, while striving to stay ahead of the competition with an on-going programme of technology and innovation.

“Ice is something that sets us apart from our rivals, we know how much our passengers value ice and will keep investing to ensure it remains the best entertainment system in the skies.”

The award-winning system is not just a hit with film fans. It also features music of all genres and generations, up to 100 video games, as well as up to 450 TV shows, from classic comedy such as Friends and The Simpsons to the latest hit dramas like Heroes and Tess of D’Urbervilles.

And if the huge choice proves tricky for passengers and they need help making a decision like the lead character in Slumdog Millionaire, they can always phone a friend.

Passengers can make and receive phone calls, e-mails and text messages via the seat-back communications service on all Emirates flights.

In addition, they can now use their own mobiles on a number of aircraft with Emirates’ AeroMobile service now available on 32 Emirates aircraft. Typically about 32 per cent of passengers switch on their own mobile phone, and the service is operating on around one in four flights.

Emirates’ commitment to providing passengers with the very best in in-flight entertainment began in 1992, when it became the first airline in the world to offer personal TV screens in all classes on its entire fleet.

Last year, Emirates won - for the fourth consecutive year - the coveted Skytrax award for Best In-flight Entertainment. In addition, it took top honours at the World Airline Entertainment Association’s awards, winning the passenger-voted category of Best In-flight Entertainment in the World – Large Airlines, as well as scooping Best in Region for Middle East and Africa.