On a trip to somewhere far, far away

On an Emirates flight to somewhere far, far away passengers will soon be able to watch the first six Star Wars films back-to-back.

The airline is adding all six films, including the original trilogy A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi and the later release prequels to its in flight entertainment systems next month.

The original trilogy is likely to be the re-released versions from 1997 and that may leave some Star Wars buffs a little disappointed. Director and creator George Lucas has repeatedly said he will not release the original theatrical versions.

Emirates made the announcement just days before the worldwide premier of the seventh instalment, Star Wars: The Force Awakens on December 17. Parts of The Force Awakens were filmed in Abu Dhabi.

But while the first six films will be available on all Emirates flights, only passengers travelling on certain long-haul routes will be able to cram in all 13 hours and 37 minutes.

Most flights to North America and South America should be able to fit in the films, according to flights times on the Emirates website. Passengers flying to Sydney and Brisbane in Australia and to New Zealand will also able to watch the films but those heading to Perth, Adelaide and Melbourne will fall short.