Up in the Air: Connectivity

Etihad Airways – winner of the ‘Best Up in the Air Experience’ at the FTE Awards 2014 – now offers Wi-Fi, mobile services and live TV on all 24 of its Boeing 777s.

Virgin Atlantic has selected Gogo’s 2Ku in-flight connectivity service, which will enable passengers to access high-speed Wi-Fi in-flight.

Gogo has teamed up with T-Mobile to allow passengers to make use of free in-flight texting and Visual Voicemail on Gogo-equipped aircraft in the US.

United Airlines has become the first North American carrier to take delivery of the 787-9 Dreamliner, which is equipped with Panasonic’s eXConnect Wi-Fi service.

Aeromexico is the first carrier to sign-up to Gogo’s 2Ku product, which is expected to deliver peak speeds of more than 70 Mbps upon its launch.

After five years of development, AirAsia is trialling its own onboard connectivity service, with a permanent rollout scheduled for late-2014.

The 2014 Wireless Connectivity Survey has found that in-flight Wi-Fi affects flight choice for 66% of travellers, and 17% would switch allegiances if Wi-Fi is not offered.

Skymark Airlines has become the first carrier in Japan to offer passengers access to free onboard Wi-Fi, having teamed up with Panasonic Avionics.