Jetstar - Big Book Swap

Jetstar - Big Book Swap

Jetstar has gone old-school for educational in-flight entertainment by introducing a Big Book Swap , touted as an airline world first, in support of Singapore’s National Reading Movement. The airline distributed over 500 books and bestsellers donated by the National Library Board, MPH Bookstores, Select Books, Book Point and Write Editions on July 30th—Singapore’s National Reading Day .

The National Reading Movement is a 5-year campaign by Singapore’s National Library Board (NLB) which aims to encourage Singaporeans “to Read More, Read Widely and Read Together.” NLB is running community and nation-wide programmes to encourage more adults to read, promote reading in mother tongue languages and build a vibrant reading culture in Singapore. At the boarding gates of select Jetstar flights at Changi Airport Terminal 1, Jetstar passengers could pick up a book to take with them. The airline only asked that passengers leave books in the seat pocket of their aircraft on their next flight after they’d read it, for another passenger to enjoy. Jetstar customers were also encouraged to share books of their own by asking cabin crew for a special sticker to put on the book’s back and leaving the book in the seat pocket. “Books are an increasingly forgotten form of in-flight entertainment that can transport one to an imaginary adventure even before the flight departs,” said Chantal van Wijnbergen, Jetstar’s Southeast Asia marketing manager.

“Likewise, a holiday can be greatly enhanced with a good read, and we hope the books from our kind sponsors, including NLB, can reinvigorate our passengers’ passion for reading, and have the book swap flourish into the world’s first flying, communitydriven book club.” Jetstar also promoted the Big Book Swap on YouTube , where it received more than 80 thousand views.