V-Day parade broadcast live on Chinese flight

BEIJING - Passengers on a domestic Chinese flight viewed a live broadcast of Thursday's V-Day parade while in the air, the country's flag carrier Air China said.

It was the first time ever a live broadcast took place during flight.

There were 289 passengers aboard the CA1369 plane flying from Beijing to the southern coastal resort city of Sanya. They were able to watch the parade through the video system in the cabin or on their own tablets and laptop computers.

The plane was fitted with an improved satellite antenna, WiFi system and broadcast signal receiving system that had gone through intensive tests, said Zhang Yun, an official overseeing onboard Internet development at Air China.

The company will upgrade the systems and apply them to all of its planes in future, with the number of TV channels onboard expected to reach 60, up from the current 16, Zhang said.