Under the deal, BBC will provide five news and three sports updates every hour, 24 hours per day, replacing the old system of once a day.
Bill Mould, head of BBC's travel distribution department, said: "The desired aim is to create awareness for people, even when they are in the air", in reference to both the broadcaster's brand and those of its advertisers.
The deal would also provide advertising opportunities for businesses looking to extend into regions covered by Emirates, such as Asia and the Middle East.
Mould indicated that the BBC is looking to expand the service to other airlines: "The quality of that service can only improve, with the introduction of live feeds to planes, hopefully within the next 12 months."
The service should soon be available to a large number of airlines covering multiple regions simultaneously. As a result, programmes and advertisements will be seen by more passengers, and with the upgrade in technology, at more frequent intervals.
This high level of exposure provides a desirable opportunity for businesses to ensure that their brands are available on the BBC network.
The deal may also open the market for package deals, tying advertising opportunities with other inflight entertainment and even inflight shopping.