Emirates Adds One Hour of Like Nastya Kids Shows Across Its Fleet

Emirates has added a one hour collection of Like Nastya episodes to its ice inflight entertainment system across the airline’s global fleet. For families, the update adds a familiar children’s option without requiring parents to turn a phone or tablet into the main screen for the entire flight.

One hour is useful, but it is not a complete long haul strategy. The practical move is to treat the new compilation as one part of the journey, then plan headphones, meals, sleep and backup downloads around it.

What Emirates added to ice

The July 22 announcement from Emirates and Like Nastya says the new collection brings together some of the brand’s popular episodes in a specially prepared one hour compilation. It is available now through the seatback ice system on Emirates aircraft.

Like Nastya is a children’s entertainment brand built around stories, play and family adventures. The announcement describes the new collection as programming for young travelers and families, but it does not publish an age rating, episode list or language list.

That means parents should not assume the compilation is automatically the right fit for every child. A few minutes of previewing Like Nastya at home can answer a more useful question than the brand’s large audience: will this particular style of show hold your child’s attention while seated?

The current Emirates inflight entertainment page says ice offers more than 6,500 channels across movies, television, music, podcasts and children’s programming. The new Like Nastya hour therefore sits inside a much larger catalog rather than replacing the airline’s existing family choices.

Travelers new to the airline can use Deep Arrival’s Emirates guide to understand the broader cabin experience. Entertainment remains only one part of the decision, especially when two itineraries use different aircraft or connection times.

The useful part is familiarity

A familiar show can lower the amount of negotiation needed after takeoff. A child who already enjoys Like Nastya may settle into the seat faster than one who has to browse an unfamiliar menu while tired, hungry or overstimulated.

That is the real traveler value of this release. The collection does not make the flight shorter, but it can give a family one predictable block of time during a journey that may otherwise feel difficult to control.

Parents can use the hour deliberately. Starting it during meal cleanup, a quiet period or the final stretch before sleep may be more helpful than turning it on immediately after boarding.

The exact timing depends on the child. Some families may want the familiar program early to reduce anxiety, while others may save it for the middle of the flight when books, snacks and the view outside have lost their novelty.

Deep Arrival’s guide to flying long haul with kids breaks the journey into manageable activity blocks. The Like Nastya compilation can now become one of those blocks on an Emirates itinerary.

One hour still leaves a large gap

Emirates connects more than 140 destinations, and many trips through Dubai involve long flight sectors or a connection between two substantial flights. Even a useful one hour collection covers only a small share of that travel day.

Families should therefore build a simple sequence instead of relying on a single screen. A realistic rotation might include a snack, one show, a bathroom break, a quiet game, another program and a sleep attempt.

That rotation does not need to be rigid. Its purpose is to give the adult several next moves when a child becomes restless, not to force the family onto a minute by minute schedule.

Keep at least one activity that does not depend on the aircraft system. A coloring pack, small puzzle, downloaded audiobook or favorite offline video can cover boarding delays, a screen reset or the time before the cabin crew allows entertainment use.

The seatback collection also should not be confused with onboard internet. Emirates has separately been expanding connectivity, including a Starlink rollout on parts of its fleet, but the Like Nastya announcement is about content inside ice.

That distinction matters because a family should not need a streaming plan to watch a program that appears in the seatback catalog. Internet availability and performance can still matter for personal devices, messages and other online activities.

Check the aircraft details without overpromising them

Emirates says the compilation is available across its global fleet. Its own entertainment page also warns that products and features can vary by route, aircraft type and configuration, including when an aircraft changes close to departure.

Those two statements can coexist. The airline may distribute the title fleetwide while individual screens, menus, cabin hardware or day of travel conditions still differ.

Families should look up the current entertainment selection before departure when that option is available, then confirm the title again after boarding. If the collection is important to the plan, save a second familiar program to a personal device rather than treating the aircraft listing as an absolute guarantee.

The Emirates app can also help travelers build an ice playlist before the trip and sync it onboard on supported journeys. That is most useful when an adult wants to reduce browsing time and move quickly from one planned title to the next.

Do not wait until the cabin is dark and the child is impatient to test every part of the setup. Charge the device, download the airline app and label each child’s headphones before leaving home.

Headphones can decide whether the feature is useful

A bright screen without comfortable audio is not much of a solution. Families should carry headphones that fit the child’s head, stay comfortable for more than a few minutes and connect to the equipment they expect to use.

Seatback ports and personal devices can require different connections. A compact adapter may help, but parents should verify their aircraft and device rather than buying a random accessory at the airport.

Volume protection matters too. Deep Arrival’s kids flight headphones guide explains the tradeoffs among wired connections, wireless use, fit and volume limits.

Even when the airline provides headphones, a familiar pair from home can be easier for a child to tolerate. Put them in the personal item rather than a checked bag so they are available as soon as the family reaches the seat.

Parents traveling with more than one child should avoid assuming both children will want the same program at the same time. Separate headphones and a second activity reduce the chance that a single one hour compilation becomes a new source of conflict.

Emirates Like Nastya decision matrix

What parents should verify before departure

Start with the current aircraft and entertainment information in the Emirates app or booking tools. The goal is not to memorize the whole ice catalog but to identify a few acceptable titles so the family is not making every choice under pressure.

Next, check whether the child can wear the packed headphones comfortably for 20 to 30 minutes. Comfort often becomes the limiting factor before the length of the show does.

Then download a backup to a fully charged device. That backup is useful during the airport wait and connection as well as onboard, since the seatback collection stays with the aircraft.

Finally, discuss the rough order of the travel day with older children. Saying that the show comes after the meal or during the middle of the flight creates a clearer expectation than promising unlimited screen time.

What to watch next

Emirates did not publish the episode list, supported languages or a removal date in the announcement. Families should watch the live ice catalog for those details rather than assuming every version of Like Nastya they know will be included.

The more interesting long term question is whether airlines keep adding creator led children’s programming alongside movies and conventional television. Familiar digital brands can make a catalog feel more current, but parents still need clear age guidance, language information and easy search tools.

For this trip, the decision is simpler. If Like Nastya is already a favorite, the new hour is worth placing in the plan. If the child is indifferent, Emirates still has thousands of other channels and the family loses nothing by choosing a different activity.