EGYPTAIR Selects OnAir
Geneva, Switzerland, 26 May 2009 – EGYPTAIR and OnAir today announced agreement to install full Mobile OnAir and Internet OnAir inflight passenger communications services on their fleet of twin-aisle Airbus 330-300 aircraft. These will be delivered over an 18 month period, starting August 2010, and will operate on European and North American routes as well as in the Middle East.
EGYPTAIR passengers will be able to stay connected inflight using their own mobile phones or smartphones to make and receive phone calls, send and receive text messages and emails, and access the Internet. Using the Internet OnAir service, passengers will be able to access the Internet just as they do on the ground by connecting their laptops either wirelessly or via a wired connection. By OnAir providing both GSM/GPRS as well as Wi-Fi Internet, EGYPTAIR’s passengers will have the broadest range of inflight connectivity options available anywhere in the world today.
EGYPTAIR’s Chairman, Captain Sherif Saad Eldin Galal, said, “We are constantly looking to improve our offering to passengers. This latest technology from OnAir helps us further differentiate our service, and enables our customers to stay in touch with colleagues, family and friends while they travel.”
“OnAir is proud to be working with EGYPTAIR,” said Benoit Debains, CEO of OnAir. “The Mobile OnAir and Internet OnAir services together provide air travellers with a complete solution: a full range of service and the highest levels of performance whether they are using mobile phones, smartphones or their laptops – and with global coverage.”
Mobile OnAir uses the industry’s most advanced and extensive infrastructure for mobile communications, along with Inmarsat SwiftBroadband, high capacity services from Inmarsat 4th generation satellites. This gives EGYPTAIR passengers the best reach and performance available today.
Passenger can use Mobile OnAir to stay in touch as they fly on over 6,000 flights each month, to over 240 cities in over 50 countries across Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. OnAir has operated more than 13,000 fully connected SwiftBroadband flights to date and has signed agreements with more than 15 airlines worldwide.
The EGYPTAIR announcement comes amidst mounting demand for inflight passenger communications. A growing number of commercial airlines and private aviation companies either currently offer OnAir inflight communications services or will offer them in the near future.
OnAir also serves corporate jets, private VIP and Governmental customers.
According to a recent passenger survey, 80% of passengers who have used Mobile OnAir services on selected flights would like these services to be available on every flight.
About EGYPTAIR
EGYPTAIR is the world-renowned national airline of Egypt, based in the cosmopolitan city of Cairo. In more than 76 years, EGYPTAIR has experienced extraordinary growth, taken the lead to be the first airline in the Middle East and Africa and the seventh in the world to join IATA and become a treasured brand.
Throughout its 76 years of service and, as a result of continuous investments, EGYPTAIR has successfully extended its network over the years to reach more than 1,624 weekly departures to 70 cities in 44 countries carrying more than 7.8 million passengers in 2007 /2008 with an increase of 20%. Currently EGYPTAIR has one of the most modern fleets with an average age of eight years which consists of 53 aircraft targeting to reach 75 aircrafts in 2013.
In 2004, EGYPTAIR demonstrated the scale of its commitment to the highest standards of safety by being the first IOSA certified airline in the Middle East and Africa. EGYPTAIR is a Star Alliance member since July 2008.
About OnAir
OnAir is the leading provider of inflight communications, enabling passengers to stay connected during their flight, and airlines to offer new services and generate additional revenues. Present on four of five continents, OnAir provides the only air-travel industry sponsored solution, now available to regular and low-cost airlines, to private and corporate jets, on Airbus and Boeing aircraft, and on long and short-haul flights. OnAir is the only provider of services based on SwiftBroadband, the latest high-bandwidth satellite technology from Inmarsat, which offers GSM and GPRS for voice, data and Internet.
OnAir was incorporated in February 2005 and is owned by SITA, the leading IT solutions provider to the air transport world and Airbus, the leading aircraft manufacturer. OnAir is a member of the GSM Association and an Inmarsat Distribution Partner for SwiftBroadband services.
More information about OnAir is available at www.onair.aero