A decade after the FAA approved the use of smaller personal electronic devices from gate-to-gate airlines face a new challenge: What to do about Apple Vision Pro and other headsets on board. It will, of course, be part of the future passenger experience. But will passengers be fully immersed from take off to touch down? And how does it impact safety on board?
The augmented and virtual reality market is not new. Five years ago saw a flurry of activity with trial programs on board multiple carriers, though it was also unclear the technology was ready to serve in flight or that a real problem was being solved. Apple aims to change that with its Vision Pro headset and the early hype seems to be at least on par with expectations.
Moreover, because it is pitched as a true productivity tool rather than just a metaverse gaming experience, there is potential for it to be attractive to a broader range of consumers. So, how will it fly?
Beond buys in
For passengers on Beond, the upstart “premium leisure airline” serving the Maldives, Vision Pro is part of the inflight entertainment offering. The carrier plans to offer headsets on board to “select” passengers beginning later this year, an upgrade over the iPad-based inflight entertainment it delivers on board.
The company confirms that headsets will only be offered to passengers on “top fare classes” on board. Presumably this would be the “Opulence” fare bundle the company offers. The content will include games and movies, similar to the iPads, and will expand to offer “truly amazing footage” of the “stunning resort destinations and activities in the Maldives.”
Read more: Airborne AR/VR: a solution in search of a problem?
How Beond will handle sizing of the device and consumer familiarization with the experience remains to be seen. But there’s still some time for the company to sort that out before its planned integration of the devices in the months ahead. If nothing else, this announcement got the airline a ton of mass market press that should help the brand name become better known.
Safety considerations for Apple Vision Pro in flight
Passenger safety typically comes from not allowing anything new or different to happen on a plane until it is well tested. Theoretically, that should include the effect of strapping a relatively heavy set of blinders on to one’s face, particularly during the critical phases of flight.
Apple Vision Pro seems to have slipped into a middle ground. It is a personal electronic device, of course. But is it small enough and unobtrusive enough to be safe for use during taxi, takeoff, and landing?
Among the considerations, Apple Vision Pro weighs in at 600 grams (~1.3 pounds). Does that additional weight, or the shape and materials of the device, change the way head impact testing should be considered for a crash? There’s also the extra half pound battery (total device weight is ~900 grams, or ~2 pounds), and the cable connecting the battery to the goggles. How must passengers secure the battery? And is that wire a tripping or entanglement hazard? Many airlines require devices to be unplugged from power ports on board to reduce that risk, but will Apple’s AR appliance be treated differently?
Unfortunately, airlines do not agree on an answer here. And regulators are not much help. A spokesperson for the FAA deferred to airlines which must set policies about device usage on board, “Passengers are required to follow all crew member instructions. Passengers should check with their airline for questions regarding specific electronic devices.”
So, who will – and will not – let Apple Vision Pro fly today?
Hawaiian Airlines, notes that VR/AR headsets are currently not on its list of approved devices for use in the critical phases of flight. But the company also recognizes “use of these technologies is changing rapidly and are currently undertaking a review of our policies.”
Lufthansa has a similar policy, based around the device size, whereby anything larger than a smartphone must be stowed.
Southwest Airlines, on the other hand says its teams “have not identified any additional safety risks related to this new device and don’t anticipate any policy changes. Given its size, we consider it a small personal electronic device that may be used during all phases of flight.” This includes passengers in exit rows, though the company does say it will require those travelers to remove the headset during the safety briefing.
The market is very much evolving; rules that exist today do not account for the devices and airlines have inconsistent interpretations of those rules. That’s bad news for passengers and a challenge for cabin crew. But it is also something of the early days. And as the dust settles expect to see more consistent policies take hold.
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