Emirates pushes for paperless planes

Passengers flying Emirates will be forced to suffice with audio entertainment following the company's decision to remove its inflight magazine, Open Skies.

Indicative of the widely-held belief that using paper is bad for the environment, Tim Clark, president of Emirates told media that removing its inflight magazine was a way of helping reduce Emirates' carbon footprint.

"It's two kilograms per seat and 500 seats, a worthwhile saving," he said. "We are doing it because of fuel prices and the environment. The printed matter will be replaced by content shown on the aircraft's seatback TVs."

Emirates' magazines are described on the company's website as  "a prime opportunity to reach some of the most sophisticated readers in the skies."

It could take years for the magazine's content to be transferred to the onscreen entertainment system in Australia, meaning that Open Skies will be circulating on the planes for some time to come.

Spokespeople from Qantas and Virgin Blue in Australia both said that each airway would still be producing its own inflight magazines for customers and not following Emirates' decision.