The quest to provide airlines with new inflight connectivity options continues despite Boeing’s abandonment of its Connexion broadband service.
Customer surveys are being trotted out to support proposals to introduce inflight connectivity solutions, including new broadband solutions and the use of personal mobile phones. Passenger acceptance is not a certainty and there are several hurdles – including installation costs and technical, airworthiness and regulatory issues – to overcome. But several carriers are pushing ahead with inflight mobile phone technologies, including Ryanair, which inked an agreement at the end of August with Airbus/SITA joint venture OnAir.
Ryanair says it will be the first carrier to offer on its entire fleet technology allowing passengers to use their own mobile phones inflight. But the first aircraft fitted with the OnAir GSM equipment will be an Air France Airbus A318, to be used to certify the system and hold a six-month trial from February.
Rival AeroMobile, an ARINC/Telenor joint venture, says its service will be available as early as late October, pending regulatory approval, starting with a Boeing 777 operated by an undisclosed launch customer. Australia’s Qantas will trial AeroMobile’s service for three months on a 767 early next year.
Like the OnAir system, AeroMobile technology will allow passengers to email, message and make calls via their mobile phones. Lesley Grant, general manager of customer product and services for Qantas, says the majority of its business travellers surveyed supported the idea, particularly e-mail access.
In Europe, TAP Air Portugal and the UK’s bmi also have signed up to retrofit some of their aircraft with OnAir technology from the second half of 2007, when the first 50 Ryanair aircraft will be equipped. Carriers will receive a commission from OnAir on call revenues generated during flights. ■
Source: Airline Business
