Emirates A380 expands OnAir connectivity
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All 21 fleet of the Emirates A380 will have OnAir Wi-Fi connectivity. Now, passengers can access the Internet through their smartphones, tablets and laptops while flying globally.
OnAir’s in-flight GSM mobile phone network will be deployed on the Emirates A380s from July this year, the first time the combined GSM mobile phone and WiFi service will be available on A380s.
“We have taken two key learning’s from the Internet OnAir service on Emirates’ A380s so far,” said Ian Dawkins, CEO of OnAir. “The first and more obvious is that in-flight connectivity is here to stay. The second is that we can meet passengers’ requirements, even on the largest aircraft, with our SwiftBroadband service. We provide consistent global coverage.”
With average data usage per user slightly below 20MB, the bulk of usage is focused on social media, news and travel-related sites, such as hotel, taxi and restaurant bookings, with passengers typically using the Internet during the first half of the flight.
The length of the flight also has an impact, with 84% of usage on flights of over three hours.
There is an even split between the type of device passenger use to access the Internet, with 48% using a laptop or tablet and 52% using a smart phone.
OnAir’s in-flight connectivity services have now been selected by six A380 operators and are currently in service on 25 A380s, as well as being available as linefit and retrofit on a wide range of Airbus and Boeing aircraft.