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From the OnAir CEO
"Although 2011 has been a very eventful year, we have made significant progress in developing both our customer base, the technology behind the service and extending partnerships.
OnAir is now the leading global provider of inflight connectivity, with more airline customers and a wider geographicalspread than any other service provider. We are proud to include Emirates, Qantas,Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines and TAM amongst on our list of prestigious airline customers.
On the technology side, we are constantly thinking of what passenger requirements will be tomorrow, which is why we are working closely with Inmarsat to provide our customers with the best connected service (SwiftBroadband) as confirmed by most of the major airlines around the world. We are also providing a simple path to the Global Xpress / Ka services as and when our customers require the next step in technology.
On another note, our aim has always been to make it as easy to use inflight connectivity as it is to communicate on the ground. It was therefore very gratifying to see Oman Air - another of our customers - win the APEX Award for the Best Inflight Connectivity and Communications, particularly since the award is voted for by passengers, the ultimate judges. That passengers value the service is vindication of our work.
It looks like 2012 will be an interesting year with the increasing demand for inflight connectivity as passengers are starting to ask if their flight is connected before booking.
Given the positive trends for the industry, and the increasing demand to communicate on iPhones, iPads and Blackberrys and have internet access while you are on the move, I truly believe that connectivity has become a standard requirement, all long-range aircraft will be equipped in the next 12 to 24 months and ultimately single aisle aircraft as well. Our focus will remain on providing inflight connectivity for as many people as possible with as many partners willing to offer our services."
Ian Dawkins |
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Emirates launches A380 connectivity
WiFi in the sky begings on 11 Emirates A380s
Passengers flying on Emirates A380s can now surf, share, email, or tweet their way across the Emirates network as the airline launches Internet OnAir. Customers onboard many A380 flights have been using the service for many months already as the system was installed and activated on the first few A380s last year.
The inflight Wi-Fi service will initially be launched on 11 of Emirates A380s, with the system due to be installed both now and in the future across the entire fleet of 71 A380s on order. In addition to Wi-Fi, from mid-2012 all new Emirates A380s will be delivered with Mobile OnAir, providing the full range of Wi-Fi, mobile phone and mobile data services.
Prices start at just US $7.50 for mobile devices and US $15 on laptops for generous data packages that allow plenty of Internet. The US $7.50 package should be sufficient for the average smartphone user to stay connected all the way from Dubai to Paris - a flight of over six and one half hours.
 | | Customers connect onboard the A380 |
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OnAir partners with Inmarsat for Global Xpress Distribution OnAir to provide global Ka-band service to the aviation market
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Drawing of an I-5 satellite |
OnAir will be one of two exclusive Inmarsat Distribution Partners for Global Xpress™, the first global Ka-band network to provide inflight broadband connectivity for the aeronautical market, specifically commercial airlines, as well as governmental, VIP and business jet operators.
Global Xpress will operate in the Ka-band, and thus will provide users with significantly higher throughput than other satellite solutions, including the current generation technology based on Ku-band. This improved performance, combined with superior economics for both services and equipment and complete coverage of air routes, positions Global Xpress to support broad introduction of connectivity services to passengers and airlines on a sustainable basis across their entire fleets.
Global Express / Ka services will start operations in the second half of 2013. |
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