Emma Kelly/LONDON
The race is on to offer passengers in-flight e-mail/internet services, with Honeywell, Inflightonline and Tenzing set to launch airline trials by early next year. Meanwhile, Boeing, In-Flight Network (IFN) and ARINC, have yet to secure customers for what they see are longer-term, more complete, broadband e-mail/internet solutions.
Tenzing has signed memoranda of understanding with six carriers for trials or installations of its in-flight e-mail/internet services, John Wade, executive vice-president strategic alliances said at last month's World Airline Entertainment Association (WAEA) show, where a rash of e-mail/internet offerings were on display.
Tenzing already has certification for its services following an airborne trial which started in early September with Air Canada. Tenzing's e-mail service has been tested on two Air Canada Boeing 767-200s, with a further three to be equipped shortly. Around 5,000 Air Canada frequent flyers are being informed of the service, which is accessed via passenger laptops.
Singapore Airlines (SIA) launches trials on a Boeing 747-400 in November, while an unnamed European carrier and a second unnamed airline will follow with trials before year-end, says Wade. Cathay Pacific will offer Tenzing services on 62 aircraft from next year once it has installed Primex Aerospace's EmPort data network.
Meanwhile, SIA will conduct a two-month, one-aircraft trial of Honeywell's Total Aircraft Information System (TAIS) from December to test Honeywell's Inflightmail, credit card verification and terminal area wireless network services.
Swissair will test TAIS on a single Airbus A319 from November.
Inflightonline expects to announce a fleet deal with an Asian carrier for its e-mail/internet services "soon", says David Bruner, president.
Inflightonline is also working towards a one-aircraft trial with an unnamed US carrier in the first quarter of 2001, he says.
Companies working on broadband services - including Boeing and IFN - are stressing that their products are long-term solutions to airlines' e-mail/internet needs. Boeing Connexion and IFN's in-flight products will allow true internet surfing rather than just access to popular websites being cached on aircraft servers, which the early e-mail/internet pioneers are offering, according to the competing providers.
IFN, which combines Rockwell Collins, News Corp and Globalstar, conducted airborne trials ofits e-mail/internet services last month. IFN is "engaged in pretty serious discussions with a small number of very prominent airlines", says Dave Frankenbach, director of product marketing. IFN will be ready for airline trials in the fourth quarter of 2001, with full deployment in 2002.
Meanwhile, Boeing is in talks with 30 airlines worldwide on its Connexion services, which will be available in the USA in the fourth quarter of next year and worldwide by 2004. Airlines are "moving wisely" into broadband services and instead adopting "interim" solutions, says Boeing.
ARINC, the latest company to enter the overcrowded in-flight/e-mail market, says it is talking to "at least three airlines very actively" on its services, says Kenneth Malley, vice-president in-flight passenger systems.
Source: Flight International
