IPads on a Plane Let Scoot Save Fuel by Shedding TV Tons

Scoot Pte is offering Apple Inc. iPads to budget long-haul travelers after ripping out aircraft entertainment systems weighing more than two tons to save fuel.

The tablets helped the carrier cut 7 percent off the weight of planes obtained from parent Singapore Airlines Ltd. even after a 40 percent increase in seating, Chief Executive Officer Campbell Wilson said. The savings will help Scoot, which makes its maiden flight today, cope with fuel prices that have jumped about 36 percent in two years.