Singapore Airlines on
Tuesday said it plans to roll out inflight wireless Internet and mobile device
connectivity and evaluate the ability to make mobile phone calls on
transpacific flights beginning in the first half of next year.
Through what it called a
"a multi-million-dollar
collaboration" with connectivity provider OnAir, Singapore Airlines said
it would outfit its Airbus A380, A340-500 and Boeing 777-300ER aircraft with
the offering, with details on cost for passengers to use the service yet to be
revealed.
Though
a Singapore spokesperson said the OnAir system would technically enable mobile
phone usage, the airline said it would conduct evaluations and customer
outreach to determine which connectivity offerings it will allow in flight.
Jointly owned by Airbus and SITA, OnAir said it would
offer global satellite coverage to enable Singapore's onboard connectivity
platform. "The agreement is extremely significant," said OnAir CEO
Ian Dawkins. "It sends a strong signal to the industry that inflight
passenger communications has come of age—and is a must-have for airlines
looking to remain competitive in the future."
The revival of inflight
Internet has been most prevalent on domestic U.S. routes in recent years, as
transoceanic offerings have been lacking since the 2006 demise of Connexion by
Boeing, a product Singapore used. Also a client of Connexion, Lufthansa last
month confirmed it is on track to relaunch its FlyNet inflight Internet system on the North Atlantic this year with Panasonic.