Up in the Air: Connectivity

Following this year’s Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg, Callum Tennent takes a look at some of the key in-flight trends to look out for in the coming months.

The airline experienced significant growth in passenger uptake of in-flight mobile and WiFi services, with a +130% increase in internet package sales and a +180% rise in connectivity revenues in the last year.

In total 150 of Qatar Airways’ aircraft, including its new generation A350s and A380s, will offer onboard mobile phone and WiFi signal.

A poll of British travellers has revealed that more than 70% would like to make texts and calls at 30,000 feet. It also suggests that the majority of passengers expect inflight mobile services to become a standard feature of flying in the next few years.