The implementation of mobile phone services on board aircraft has taken longer than anyone expected due to countless regulatory hurdles. But now they are a reality, with the two main contenders AeroMobile and OnAir launching trials and on the brink of service introduction.
Arinc and Telenor joint venture company AeroMobile is the first to test the waters, having been operating a one-aircraft trial with Qantas since April. The airline has equipped a Boeing 767 with a picocell system to ensure that mobile phones on the aircraft operate at minimum power. Passengers have been able to use their mobile phones and PDAs such as the BlackBerry for text messaging and mobile data services, with messages delivered via the Inmarsat satellite system.
The Qantas trial has gone extremely well, so much so that Qantas has agreed to extend it, according to David Coiley, AeroMobile marketing director. More than 11,000 passengers have used their phones during the trial, which has run on domestic flights ranging from 1-5h. Hundreds of text messages are being sent and received on the busiest flights, says the service provider.
"Passenger feedback has been very positiveAs our own research had clearly indicated, airline passengers clearly do want the choice of being able to stay in touch when they fly," says Coiley.
Beyond the Qantas trial, AeroMobile has a contract with Emirates to install the system across its fleet and is in "mature dialogue" with a further 17 operators.
The Emirates programme is progressing well, says Coiley, albeit slower than expected. Installation is under way on the Airbus A330/A340 and Boeing 777, with certification applications in the final stages of completion. "The international certification process for all cellular services has taken significantly longer than was anticipated," he says.
AeroMobile has received approvals from 35 countries in Europe, the Middle East and Australasia. Contracts have been signed and tests completed with more than 100 mobile operators around the world, representing over 1 billion subscribers.
AeroMobile competitor OnAir expects its first trial, with Air France, will go ahead later this year. The Sita-Airbus company has three European airlines signed up for single aircraft trials - Air France, BMI and TAP Air Portugal. OnAir secured European Aviation Safety Authority certification for an Airbus A318 installation earlier this year, but a number of regulatory hurdles need to be cleared ahead of service by Air France on the type, says Graham Lake, chief commercial officer. "We are confident it will all be finished by mid-September," he says, adding that data services will be introduced first, followed by voice.
The BMI and TAP trials are driven by the C check timetable for the A320 (BMI) and A319 (TAP), but a November installation date is now likely for TAP and trial launch early next year and installation in January for BMI.
At the same time it is working on a fleetwide programme with Ryanair involving 260-plus aircraft. The first aircraft was due to be equipped in early September, with service launch likely three months after, says Lake.
OnAir has a further four airlines signed up and "four more on the brink of signing", says Lake. Air Asia and its long-haul affiliate AirAsiaX will be the first customers in that region, while an unannounced Chinese carrier has also committed to a fleet fit. A European low-cost carrier has also signed up for a fleet installation, while an Indian carrier will use OnAir's internet services.
OnAir has initially focused on gaining regulatory approval in Europe and the Middle East, with Asia to be a focus next year. The service provider has regulatory approval from more than half of the countries in Europe and is confident it will have all approvals by year-end. It has also secured about 200 roaming agreements and is concluding a further 100.
"The whole thing has moved six months to a year from when we originally planned through a whole host of reasons," says Lake.
Source: Flight International
