Suppose you’ve ever thought of flying as a humdrum ordeal—something to be endured rather than enjoyed—then clearly. In that case, you haven’t settled into seat 17A aboard an Emirates A380 and lost yourself in a classic Humphrey Bogart flick while cruising 40,000 feet above the Sahara. Welcome to the wonderful world of Emirates Ice: the inflight entertainment system so spectacular, so richly curated, and so jaw-droppingly vast, it’s not just an experience—it’s a destination in its own right.
Let’s start with the numbers, shall we? Emirates Ice (that’s Information, Communication and Entertainment for the uninitiated) boasts over 6,500 channels. That’s not a typo. That’s a cinematic galaxy so wide, even Netflix might raise an eyebrow. It includes more than 2,700 Hollywood blockbusters, 300+ Bollywood sensations, 150 Arabic-language titles, and a refined bouquet of 600 international films spanning 50 languages. Throw in some vintage gems like Spartacus, Casablanca or Frankenstein, and you’ve got yourself a flying film festival that would put Cannes to shame.
The Largest Library in the Sky
With the biggest media library above sea level—and quite a few mountains, too—Emirates holds the title of the world’s most extensive in-flight entertainment system. It’s also the largest licensee of content in the skies. The moment a film becomes available on the non-theatrical market, Emirates is first in line, chequebook in hand.
There’s also something delightfully democratic about it all. You’re just as likely to find a Kazakh-language romantic comedy as you are the latest Oscar bait. From documentary lovers to K-pop addicts, from starry-eyed kids watching Peppa Pig to serious adults brushing up on their Mandarin, Ice caters for all tastes, ages and attention spans.
A Content Team That Curates with Care
Behind the glitz lies a meticulous and devoted editorial team that spends their days trawling through global entertainment releases, much like sommeliers sniffing corks. Each month, they don’t just upload content—they craft entire themed collections. Autism Awareness Month saw a dedicated folder of neurodiversity content, while Earth Month offered nearly 60 nature documentaries and features. And if you’re a Penelope Cruz fan—lucky you. Emirates curated an entire folder of her filmography to celebrate her ambassadorship.
And that’s not just for adults. More than 250 channels are dedicated to children and family-friendly content. CBeebies, Nickelodeon, and the like are given pride of place, ensuring peace for parents and joy for juniors.
Streamlined and Sophisticated
Passengers can pre-select their viewing lineup before boarding via the Emirates app, which syncs perfectly to their seat screen upon boarding. It’s a touch of seamless tech wizardry that makes binge-watching feel almost virtuous.
The airline partners with every central entertainment platform worth its bandwidth: HBO Max, Disney+, Paramount+, Discovery+, and even Spotify—yes, the very same playlist you used for your pre-holiday drive can continue onboard.
Quality as Standard: Enter the A350
If you think quantity is impressive, wait until you see what Emirates has done with quality. On its new Airbus A350-900 aircraft, Ice enters its golden age. Expect cinematic 4K and 4K HDR displays, an intuitive UI designed with the visually impaired in mind, and servers with triple the media capacity. Features like eye comfort mode, volume smoothing, and even the option to skip intros are now standard.
Even the kids get a tailored experience—complete with pictorial interfaces and parental control settings. After all, why shouldn’t your toddler be just as excited about in-flight technology as you are?
Podcasts, Playlists and Planet Earth
Ice isn’t just about Hollywood glitz. There’s a curated suite of over 3,500 music albums and 500+ playlists spanning the globe. You can go from K-pop to Arabic classics to Argentinian tango in one sitting. Better still, Ice includes Spotify-curated content and a handpicked selection by Emirates’ in-house experts.
And for the knowledge-hungry? The system features premium LinkedIn Learning courses on productivity, entrepreneurship and leadership—as well as UTalk language learning in eight languages.
Never Miss the Big Game
Live TV onboard Emirates flights includes three news channels and two sports channels, ensuring you won’t miss that UEFA final just because you’re between Dubai and Dublin. On A380s, they even show major matches on the bar-lounge’s big screen—truly the classiest sports bar in the clouds.
An Airline That Makes Its Blockbusters
It gets better. Emirates doesn’t just license content—it creates it. The latest Ice promotional video is a three-minute thrill ride featuring a cabin crew member who rides motorbikes, battles pirates, dances in Bollywood routines, and pours drinks on alien planets. Think Mission: Impossible meets Top Gun, served with an Arabic coffee.
Produced in collaboration with CGI virtuosos Framestore, the video took six months to craft and is now beaming through Emirates cabins across the globe.
From the Moon to Microgravity
In a world-first, Emirates even beamed an interview from space into the Ice system. When UAE astronaut Dr Sultan AlNeyadi completed his six-month stint aboard the International Space Station, he floated into a live podcast interview conducted from Mission Control in Dubai. It aired onboard in real time as he began his journey back to Earth.
The footage—featuring the astronaut sipping coffee in zero gravity and doing his daily gym routine with a view of the Pacific—is the very definition of next-level entertainment.
Setting the Standard—And Then Raising It
Emirates has been at the forefront of innovation for decades. It introduced seatback screens in 1992, live news headlines in 2003, and in-flight mobile phone usage in 2008. Accessibility features like closed captions and audio description were introduced in 2008, long before many of their rivals even considered them.
The newest A350 interface, designed in collaboration with advocacy groups, features voice navigation, gesture controls, and best-in-class audio-descriptive content. Headphones are even compatible with hearing aids in the ‘T’ setting.
Need to Know? Ice Has You Covered
Aside from its vast entertainment options, Ice is packed with helpful info—flight status, airshow maps, Dubai events, destination highlights, and how to connect to Wi-Fi mid-air. It’s not just entertainment—it’s your digital concierge at cruising altitude.
Conclusion: The Future of Flying Is Already Here
After 33 years, Ice remains the crown jewel of in-flight entertainment. It’s not simply a service—it’s a commitment to elevating the flying experience, turning each journey into an immersive odyssey. With its constant innovation, stellar content, family focus, and nod to both tradition and technology, Emirates Ice isn’t just keeping pace—it’s setting it.
Next time you board an Emirates flight, don’t forget to look up from your seatback screen—if you can tear yourself away, that is. Because in the entertainment arms race in the skies, Emirates has already won.
By Michelle Warner
