[SatNews] SriLankan Airlines has signed up for OnAir’s inflight mobile phone and Wi-Fi services—by autumn, people flying from Colombo to destinations all over the world will be able to email, tweet, send text messages, make calls, and surf the Internet during the flight.
Sri Lanka’s national carrier, due to join the oneworld alliance on 1 May, is renewing its long-haul fleet. Mobile OnAir and Internet OnAir will be installed as linefit on the airline’s six new A330-200 aircraft.
“We take pride in providing our passengers with a luxurious and innovative experience, so connectivity is a must for our new aircraft,” said Kapila Chandrasena, CEO of SriLankan Airlines. “Providing Wi-Fi and GSM access is the norm for leading airlines. Our aim is to offer an outstanding service to our passengers. We selected OnAir because it is the only inflight connectivity provider of consistent coverage on all the routes we fly.”
As was the case for 30 airlines before, SriLankan Airlines has the Airbus ALNAv2 inflight connectivity system installed on its aircraft. Global connectivity will be powered by Inmarsat’s SwiftBroadband satellite network, the only service designed for mobility and consistent global coverage.
“We’re delighted that SriLankan Airlines has decided to offer its passengers GSM and Wi-Fi while flying. The two services complement each other perfectly, providing exactly the online experience we all expect on the ground,” said Ian Dawkins, CEO of OnAir. “It is now the norm for all airlines to include connectivity when they are replacing or upgrading their fleets.”
OnAir is the leading inflight connectivity provider in Asia and the Middle East, with a fast-growing customer base across the two regions. OnAir has regulatory approvals from over 100 countries, as well as roaming agreements with more than 375 mobile network operators. Combined with SwiftBroadband’s worldwide satellite coverage, airlines using OnAir can provide passengers with the same connectivity on every flight.
For additional details regarding OnAir, please visit http://www.onair.aero/
The SriLankan Airlines infosite is located at http://www.srilankan.com/