• Inflight mobile connectivity will enable subscribers to use their phones in 86 different countries

September 26, 2019–Panasonic Avionics Corporation subsidiary, AeroMobile, and leading integrated UAE telecommunications operator du, from Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company(EITC), have partnered in an agreement that will enable du’s subscribers to enjoy inflightmobile connectivity at a better price.

Recognising a desire for its customers to stay connected when they travel, the newpartnership will expand on du’spopular international roaming plans– ‘Roaming data bundleon preferred networks’ –which currently enable subscribers to use their phones in 86 different countries for the same price as being at home.

“At du, we are constantly seeking innovative ways to transform the connected experience for our valued customer bases,” says Fahad Al Hassawi, Deputy CEO–Telco Services, EITC.“This partnership has literally taken our services and telco experience to new heights, andwe are thrilled to be expanding our connected offerings to enrich our subscribers journeysabroad.”

The international roaming bundleswill now include AeroMobile’s inflight mobile services,which will enhance the experience of travelling even further. Subscribers will be able to browse the internet and stay connected, send and receive texts, listen to voicemail, and make and receive calls on AeroMobile equipped aircraft at no extra cost, provided customers have the eligible roaming data package active.

As well as empowering du subscribers on their journeys, business customers can also benefit from always-on connectivity with Inflight roaming on their travels.

This service is available to post-paid customers and will enable du subscribers to enjoy more value, simplicity and convenience when travelling abroad than ever before.

Speaking of the agreement, Kevin Rogers, CEO of AeroMobile, Panasonic Avionicssays: “Weare proud to be working with du to bring this inflight mobile services to its customers. Theagreement demonstrates du’s ongoing commitment to offering innovative and convenientcommunication services to its customers, wherever they may be.”

AeroMobile provides technology and global coverage that allows the safe use of passengers’ own mobile phones onboard aircraft.

60 percent of Panasonic’s airline customers now offer 3.5G connectivity

Lake Forest, CA | July 6, 2017– Panasonic Avionics (Panasonic) subsidiary AeroMobile today announced that it has added 100th aircraft to its 3.5G mobile network. With 60 percent of airlines now offering 3.5G inflight connectivity, users of the AeroMobile service grew by 57 percent between 4Q16 and 1Q17.

The AeroMobile service allows passengers to use their own mobile devices to text, make calls, listen to voicemail and browse the internet while inflight. The service is easy to use with no onboard payment or registration; passengers simply turn on their mobile device to connect to the network and are billed directly by their mobile operator.

Kevin Rogers, CEO of AeroMobile comments: “The milestone of 100 3.5G connected aircraft is testament to the continued airline adoption of the service and strong passenger demand.

“We have seen rapid growth in the 3.5G service and already 60 percent of our airline partners are rolling it out. In 2017 alone, 3.5G connected aircraft have already flown to 127 destinations in 65 countries.”

The inflight 3.5G network is complementary to Panasonic’s global inflight connectivity service. It offers passengers a simple and elegant way to stay in touch with friends, family, co-workers and current events while in the air. It gives passengers the same connectivity options as they have on the ground, and when combined with inflight Wi-Fi, enables data speeds that are comparable to a terrestrial service.

AeroMobile’s phone service is already in use on over 500 aircraft across 21 airlines worldwide including Air Berlin, Aer Lingus, Air France, Alitalia, Emirates, Etihad, EuroWings, EVA Air, Cathay Pacific, KLM, Kuwait Airways, Lufthansa, Malindo Air, Qatar Airways, SAS, Singapore Airlines, Air Serbia, Air Seychelles, SWISS, Turkish Airlines and Virgin Atlantic.

AeroMobile was the first to introduce mobile phone services in 2008 and now has over 350 roaming agreements in more than 150 countries.

• Technology builds on success of eXPhone service which is already installed on over 450 aircraft worldwide

Lake Forest, CA | October 19, 2016– Panasonic Avionics Corporation (Panasonic) and AeroMobile have today announced the global availability of the new 3G eXPhone system. The new technology builds on the success of Panasonic’s eXPhone service, which is already installed on over 450 aircraft across 19 airlines worldwide. Airlines such as Etihad, Cathay Pacific, Aer Lingus, EuroWings, SAS and Air Serbia have already started to install the 3G technology.

The announcement follows increasing airline adoption of the eXPhone platform and increased customer demand for on-board mobile connectivity. The newly launched 3G technology delivers a richer and faster passenger experience and enables access to a greater number of applications.

The inflight 3G network, which is operated over Panasonic’s eXConnect service, enables a quality and range of services much closer to those experienced on the ground. Faster browsing, bigger attachments, quicker posts, more responsive apps and gaming, all lead to a better connected cabin experience taking travel into a new era.

David Bruner, Vice President of Global Communications Services, Panasonic Avionics Corporation comments: “Our continued partnership with AeroMobile is testament to the eXPhone platform and how it enables airlines to offer mobile connectivity in the aircraft cabin that is easy and simple to connect to and use.

“The technology’s continued success demonstrates how Wi-Fi and mobile connectivity are totally complimentary services, consistently doubling the number of connected users in the cabin and revenue opportunities for the airline.”

Kevin Rogers, Chief Executive Officer at AeroMobile adds: “Passengers carry different devices, have different connectivity needs and have different payment preferences. Passengers each have their own “connected world.”

“We are all used to choice on the ground – choice between mobile and Wi-Fi connectivity – and we are proud that our partnership with Panasonic continues to enable passengers to access different services at different times and pay in different ways.”

• AeroMobile fleet continues to expand with Switzerland’s flag carrier SWISS International Air Lines

United Kingdom | February 18, 2016– Leading inflight connectivity provider, AeroMobile, has partnered with SWISS to allow its passengers, in all cabin classes, to use their mobile devices to call, text and browse the internet at 30,000 feet.

Aeromobile is a registered mobile network operator which enables airline passengers to roam inflight. Through this partnership, SWISS’ passengers will be able to use their own mobile devices inflight just as they would on the ground.

The first fully connected flight entered into service in early February 2016, a Boeing 777-300ER. SWISS will roll-out further B777 aircraft with inflight connectivity in the coming months, travelling to destinations including New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Hong Kong, and Bangkok.

AeroMobile provides technology that allows the safe use of passengers’ own mobile phones onboard aircraft. The company has roaming agreements with over 320 network operators globally allowing passengers from over 145 countries to use their phone inflight. Since 2008, over 36 million passengers have successfully connected to the AeroMobile network inflight.

The service is simple to use; passengers simply turn on their mobile device to connect to the network and are billed directly by their mobile operator. Prices are comparable to international roaming rates.

“It is a really exciting start to 2016 and we’re delighted to be working with SWISS, as we expand our fleet and continue supplying inflight connectivity to passengers around the world,” said Kevin Rogers, CEO of AeroMobile.

• 78 per cent of tourists use their phone abroad

United Kingdom | July 14, 2015– A survey by leading inflight connectivity provider, AeroMobile, has revealed that 78 per cent of tourists use their phone abroad.*

The survey, carried out by OnePoll, shows SMS to be the most popular phone service used at home and abroad. Of the respondents, 41 per cent used SMS on a daily basis at home, and 26 per cent while on holiday.
Accessing social media is also popular with almost one in three (29 per cent) active users at home, compared to almost one in five (17 per cent) tweeting, Facebooking or Instagramming whilst away. It’s a similar story with instant messaging with almost one in three (28 per cent) using it on a daily basis at home, compared with 21 per cent while abroad.

Almost one in five (17 per cent) people use their phone to send work emails while at home; more than half of these (10 per cent) continue to do so abroad. Similarly, 19 per cent of travellers use their mobiles to surf the web abroad, compared to 35 per cent at home.

Voice is the only service that falls drastically with 36 per cent of respondents making calls on a daily basis at home, compared to just 16 per cent when travelling. The use of voice is noticeably replaced by instant messenger when travellers are abroad.

The results show people want to be connected wherever they are, at all times. This is also true inflight – AeroMobile figures show a 50 per cent uplift in the number of passengers using their inflight network in Q1 2015, when compared to the same period in 2014.**

“It’s interesting to see how connected holidaymakers are and these statistics reflect what we’re seeing in the air. People still want to use their phones to keep in touch with what’s going on at home, even at 30,000ft. Inflight connectivity is used for all sorts, from a quick WhatsApp message to sending important work emails or listening to voicemail”, said Kevin Rogers, CEO of AeroMobile.

AeroMobile provides technology that allows the safe use of passengers’ own mobile phones onboard aircraft. The service is available on airlines including Emirates, Etihad, Aer Lingus, Singapore Airlines, Lufthansa and Virgin Atlantic. The company has roaming agreements with more than 310 network operators across 140 countries worldwide.

The service is simple to use; passengers simply turn on their mobile device to connect to the network and are billed directly by their mobile operator at international roaming rates.

Notes to editors
*Survey commissioned by AeroMobile and undertaken by OnePoll between 25 March 2015 and 07 April 2015. The survey questioned 4,250 adults in the UK, Germany and UAE. All figures quoted refer to the number of people using the service at least once per day.
Please see below for data referred to:

Service	Percentage of people who use this at least once a day at home	Percentage of people who use this at least once a day abroad
Text (SMS)	41	26
Instant Message	28	21
Call	36	16
Check voicemail	17	9
Send work emails	17	10
Send personal emails	23	13
Surf the internet	35	19
Update / check social media sites	29	17
Play games	20	12
Shopping	12	5
Stream video/TV	14	7
Stream music	13	7

** AeroMobile data, June 2015

• Etihad Airways Airbus A380 flight installed with AeroMobile services

London | February 23, 2015– AeroMobile has celebrated the first Airbus A380 to be fully line-fitted with its inflight mobile phone network. The Etihad Airways A380-800 (A6-APA) aircraft’s inaugural flight with AeroMobile services was from Abu Dhabi to London Heathrow, touching down on Friday 13 February 2015. This successful maiden flight paves the way for future A380s to be fitted with AeroMobile services.

The newly-connected aircraft accommodates 498 guests in total – 417 in Economy Class, 70 in Business Class, 9 in First Class and two in The Residence cabin.

Etihad Airways now has AeroMobile connectivity on 59 aircraft serving worldwide destinations from the Middle East. The AeroMobile service is also fitted to Etihad Airways’ Airbus A330-200, A330-300, A340-500 and A340-600 aircraft.

AeroMobile, a mobile network operator, enables airline passengers to roam inflight. The company provides technology and services that allow the safe use of passengers’ own mobile phones onboard aircraft.

AeroMobile’s inflight mobile services have proved incredibly popular with passengers since the first flight in March 2008. In fact, since launch over 23.6 million passengers have successfully connected to the network and 2014 saw a strong increase in the uptake of AeroMobile services from airlines and passengers, which reflects the needs of the modern traveler; to always be connected.
AeroMobile has roaming agreements with more than 285 operators in over 130 countries, including UAE operators Etisalat and Du and O2, EE, Three and Vodafone in the UK.

“It’s very exciting to kick off 2015 with our first AeroMobile-connected A380. With demand for inflight connectivity increasing year-on-year, we’re looking forward to continued momentum in installed aircraft and passenger demand in 2015.” Kevin Rogers, CEO of AeroMobile.

First half of 2014 sees 30 per cent increase in connected aircraft
London | July 29, 2014– Mobile phone users can now use their own devices on more than 245 aircraft across 13 different airlines*, thanks to connectivity provided by AeroMobile.

The number of aircraft offering the AeroMobile service, which allows passengers to use their own mobile phones inflight just as they would abroad, has increased by 30 per cent in the first six months of 2014.

AeroMobile’s inflight mobile network is now available on more than 430 flights every day, including on routes operated by Emirates, Etihad, Lufthansa and Virgin Atlantic.

The most recent additions to the AeroMobile-connected fleet include Qatar Airways and EVA Air, while existing airline partners, including Etihad and Lufthansa, continue to roll out the service across their long-haul fleets.

Usage has also shot up across the board compared to the same period in 2013, with data seeing the highest uptake of a massive 313 per cent and the number of inflight texts increasing by 48 per cent. With connections to the AeroMobile network up an impressive 56 per cent to just over 3 million connections, it’s clear that inflight mobile connectivity is more popular than ever.

Using the service is easy; once the aircraft reaches cruising altitude simply switch on your phone, making sure ‘Airplane Mode’ is off, and connect to the AeroMobile network. AeroMobile has active roaming agreements with more than 260 mobile phone operators, including all of the major mobile service providers in the UK, and covers over 150 countries worldwide.

“In partnership with the airlines we have really accelerated the roll-out of AeroMobile connectivity this year, meaning more passengers than ever can now use their mobile phones inflight,” said Kevin Rogers, CEO of AeroMobile.

“We’re expecting to see continued growth in airlines, aircraft passengers and usage as the AeroMobile inflight mobile network becomes embedded within the cabin experience,” continued Rogers.

“It’s certainly a very exciting time for the company as airlines can see more than ever that passengers are expecting the same level of connectivity they experience on the ground as up in the air, which means mobile as well as WiFi!” concluded Rogers.

• New Boeing 777-300ER line-fitted with mobile services from AeroMobile

United Kingdom | June 3, 2014– EVA Air has taken delivery of two new Boeing 777-300ERs, both fully line-fitted with AeroMobile’s inflight connectivity service.

The aircraft took their delivery flights from Boeing’s Seattle headquarters in the U.S. to Taipei in Taiwan on 21 May 2014.

The two B777-300ERs are the first of seven new aircraft that will be delivered to EVA Air with inflight mobile services from AeroMobile activated.

The AeroMobile network allows passengers to roam just as they would abroad, and EVA Air passengers will be able to send SMS messages and browse the internet inflight, using their own mobile devices.

AeroMobile has roaming agreements with more than 260 mobile phone operators worldwide, including Taiwanese networks Chunghwa Telecom, Far EasTone / KGT and Taiwan Mobile.

The service is simple to use; passengers simply turn on their mobile device to connect to the network and passengers are billed by their own mobile phone operator. Prices vary depending on individual contracts.

The first two fully-connected aircraft will primarily serve the North American market, with the service being rolled out to other destinations as more planes come into service.

“EVA Air has made a significant commitment to rolling out mobile connectivity on its new fleet, recognising the increasing demand from customers who want to stay connected whenever, wherever,” said Kevin Rogers, CEO of AeroMobile.

“Last year we saw close to an 80 per cent increase in the number of passengers using their mobile devices in the aircraft cabin, and we expect the demand to continue to rise this year,” he continued.

“Asia is a huge growth area for AeroMobile. EVA Air is our second Asian airline customer following Singapore Airlines and a number of other Asian airlines are scheduled to launch the service in the coming months,” said Rogers.

66 per cent of travellers would use their mobile phones inflight
Hamburg, Germany | April 10, 2014– A poll of German travellers has revealed a huge appetite for inflight mobile services including SMS, email and mobile-enabled internet access in the aircraft cabin.

Over 66 per cent of Germans surveyed said they would use their mobile phones during a flight if they had the option, mainly to stay entertained during long hours in the air.

Almost half (47 per cent) of those would use an inflight mobile connection for surfing the internet and just over a fifth (21 per cent) would check social media sites, while 58 per cent would opt for text messaging.

Almost a third (32 per cent) of people said they would use the service to make a call or check voicemail at 30,000ft.

The survey of 2,000 German consumers conducted by AeroMobile, a leading mobile phone operator for the aviation industry, reflects Germany’s increasing appetite for mobile technology.

More than half of people questioned said they expect inflight mobile connectivity to become standard in the next few years and 60 per cent believe an airline with an inflight mobile service is cutting edge.

“The results of this survey certainly reflect our experience at AeroMobile,” said Kevin Rogers, CEO of AeroMobile.

“In 2013 we saw close to an 80 per cent increase in the number of travellers using their mobile phones in the aircraft cabin and data usage on our network went up 10 fold. We also saw a 50 per cent increase in SMS traffic.”

German flag-carrier Lufthansa launched its inflight mobile phone service with AeroMobile earlier this year and has confirmed it will roll out mobile connectivity across its entire long-haul fleet of over 100 aircraft.

The AeroMobile network allows passengers to roam just as they would abroad. The company has live roaming agreements with over 250 mobile phone operators worldwide, including German networks T-Mobile, Vodafone, e-Plus and O2 Germany.

Mobile data and text messaging at 30,000ft prove a hit with Brits
Hamburg, Germany | April 9, 2014– British travellers are more likely to pick up their mobile phones inflight to send an email or browse the web than to make a call from the aircraft cabin.

More than three quarters of travellers surveyed by AeroMobile, a leading mobile phone operator for the aviation industry, said they would use mobile-enabled internet access to check emails, browse the internet or update their Facebook or Twitter status at 30,000ft.

More than half (55 per cent) would opt to send a text message and a quarter would use an instant messaging service, but fewer than a third (17 per cent) would make a call inflight.

Almost half of respondents said that inflight mobile services would help them alleviate the boredom of long hours spent in an aircraft cabin and over a third are looking to their own mobile devices to keep them entertained.

Almost half of people questioned said they expect inflight mobile connectivity to become standard in the next few years and over a third believe an airline with an inflight mobile service is cutting edge.

“The results of this survey certainly reflect our experience at AeroMobile,” said Kevin Rogers, CEO of AeroMobile.

“In 2013 we saw close to an 80 per cent increase in the number of travellers using their mobile phones in the aircraft cabin and data usage on our network went up ten-fold. We also saw a 50 per cent increase in SMS traffic.”

The AeroMobile network allows passengers to roam just as they would abroad. The company has live roaming agreements with over 250 mobile phone operators worldwide, including EE, O2, Vodafone and Three in the UK.

The service is available across eleven airlines including Virgin Atlantic, Etihad, Emirates and Lufthansa.

• Lufthansa will have the largest connected B747-8 fleet in the world

London, UK | February 6, 2014– Today, Boeing will deliver the first B747-8 to be fully line-fitted with the AeroMobile inflight mobile service. The aircraft took its delivery flight from Seattle to Frankfurt on 6 February 2014.

Europe’s largest airline, Lufthansa, will receive the landmark delivery, which will open the path for all future B747-8s to be fitted with AeroMobile connectivity. The German flag-carrier has confirmed it will roll out mobile connectivity across its entire long-haul fleet of over 100 aircraft this year.

A registered mobile service provider for the aviation industry, AeroMobile provides the mobile network for airline passengers to roam on inflight. AeroMobile has roaming agreements with more than 240 mobile phone operators worldwide, including German networks T-Mobile, Vodafone, e-Plus and O2 Germany, as well as AT&T and T-Mobile in the USA and EE, O2, Vodafone and Three in the UK.

Lufthansa has 19 B747-8s set to enter their fleet. Nine of these aircraft have already been delivered and will be retro-fitted this year. The additional deliveries will leave the Boeing facility in Seattle fully line-fit with AeroMobile connectivity. Once all of the aircraft have been delivered, Lufthansa will have the largest B747-8 fleet in the world, all with full mobile connectivity.

The aircraft, which accommodates 362 passengers and is the world’s longest passenger airliner, will be routed to destinations such as Washington, Mexico City, Hong Kong Delhi and Bangalore. As well as AeroMobile connectivity, the B747-8 will be delivered with the full Fly-Net offering of Wi-Fi and Live TV and Mobile.

Two aircraft types have now been cleared for AeroMobile line-fit at Boeing; the B777-300ER, with recipients including Thai Airways,Etihad Airways and Singapore Airlines, and the B747-8. AeroMobile also operates on B747-400 and B737 aircraft.

“It’s great news that Boeing will be rolling out AeroMobile connectivity on their B747-8 fleet and Lufthansa clearly recognises the value of offering this service alongside Wi-Fi and inflight entertainment. In fact, our research show that inflight mobile connectivity actually complements inflight Wi-fi and results in increased passenger satisfaction and additional revenue for airlines,” said Kevin Rogers, CEO of AeroMobile.

“Consumers expect to be connected 24/7 and being up in the air is no longer an exception. In 2013 we saw close to an 80 per cent increase in the number of passengers using their mobile phones in the aircraft cabin, data usage increased ten-fold and SMS traffic increased by 50 per cent.”

• German flag-carrier adds inflight mobile network to its connectivity product

London, UK | February 6, 2014– Europe’s largest airline, Lufthansa, has launched its inflight mobile phone service with AeroMobile, allowing passengers to use their own mobile devices to text and browse online at 30,000 feet via Lufthansa FlyNet.

With eight aircraft already in service, the German flag-carrier has confirmed it will roll out mobile connectivity across its entire long-haul fleet of over 100 aircraft this year.

The AeroMobile network, which allows passengers to roam just as they would abroad, is already available across selected A330s in the Lufthansa fleet, flying from Munich and Frankfurt to North America and the Middle East.

The roll out means that this year, customers flying on any of Lufthansa’s long-haul routes will be able to stay connected using their personal mobile devices inflight.

AeroMobile has roaming agreements with more than 240 mobile phone operators worldwide, including German networks T-Mobile, Vodafone, e-Plus and O2 Germany, as well as AT&T and T-Mobile in the USA and EE, O2, Vodafone and Three in the UK.

The service is simple to use; passengers simply turn on their mobile device to connect to the network, and are billed directly by their mobile operator. Prices are typically similar to ‘rest of world’ terrestrial roaming rates.

“It’s great news that Lufthansa will be rolling out AeroMobile connectivity on their entire fleet this year; we know that passengers are keen to keep their mobile phones on inflight and Lufthansa clearly recognises the value of offering this service,” said Kevin Rogers, CEO of AeroMobile.

“The service will give travellers the flexibility to use their mobile devices as much or as little as they like during a flight, whether it’s to send an SMS to a loved one, keep on top of emails or update their Facebook status,” continued Rogers.

Lake Forest, CA | December 18, 2013–Panasonic Avionics Corporation (Panasonic) has upgraded its broadband satellite network for its airline customers ahead of a dramatic increase in demand for its services in 2014.

The network upgrade allows Panasonic to increase capacity in almost every geographic area for its Global Communications Services, which deliver on-board connectivity for passengers and crew. The 50 percent uplift in capacity comes as Panasonic prepares to deliver 260 Global Communications Services-equipped aircraft into service with airlines in the next year.

The new capacity has been delivered by software upgrades to the network’s 22 satellite beams. Panasonic uses iDirect’s satellite modem technology and also upgraded to iDirect’s latest Evolution technology version 3.1, to increase bandwidth. At the same time the new Evolution hardware platform allows Panasonic to support new capacity in virtually every geographic region.

David Bruner, Vice President of Panasonic’s Global Communications Services, said: “The upgrade is perfectly timed and in place for what promises to be a monumental year for Panasonic. As 2014 comes to a close, we will have over 600 aircraft worldwide operating on our network, and this upgrade ensures that we will continue to deliver a true broadband experience to the crew and passengers for the foreseeable future.”

Panasonic’s Global Communications Services help create the same connected experience in air that travelers experience each day on the ground. It provides two-way broadband connectivity to an aircraft and supports a wide range of passenger and crew applications, including Internet access, voice, data, and the ability to monitor and transmit airline operational data in real time. It also provides up to eight channels of live, uninterrupted programming such as news and the world’s most popular sporting events to aircraft flying all over the world, even over oceans.

In collaboration with AeroMobile’s GSM mobile phone service, Panasonic’s solution allows passengers to use their mobile phones, smart phones and BlackBerry® devices onboard to make voice calls if selected by the airline, send SMS text messages or use GPRS services such as email and Internet access.

• U.S passengers now one step closer to having inflight mobile connectivity

London, UK | December 13, 2013–

Leading inflight mobile phone operator AeroMobile has today welcomed the move by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that may lead to a removal of the ban on using mobile devices onboard U.S aircraft.

In response to yesterday’s meeting, where a preliminary vote opened a period for public comment, AeroMobile CEO Kevin Rogers said that the FCC’s move would bring the U.S. in line with the rest of the world and give U.S. airlines the option to provide the same service as their international competitors.

“I’m pleased to see that common sense prevailed yesterday. There is no reason to maintain a ruling that is no longer relevant – the technology used to provide inflight GSM services is proven, and has been operational across Europe, Asia and the Middle East for more than five years.” said Rogers.

“We have hundreds of connected flights flying to and from the U.S. every day, but at the moment the service has to be switched off when we reach U.S. airspace. We know there is demand for this service from U.S. travellers – last month a quarter of the people using the service on our transatlantic routes connected from U.S. mobile networks,” continued Rogers.

AeroMobile’s inflight mobile service is active on more than 170 aircraft across nine airlines including Emirates, Etihad, SAS, Lufthansa, Aer Lingus and Virgin Atlantic. The operator has over 240 agreements with mobile phone operators around the world including AT&T and T Mobile in the United States.

“We look forward to working with the FCC over the coming months and will be demonstrating the value of the service to both customers and airlines, based on our experience,” said Rogers.

“I’m hopeful that sensible discussions can now take place about the practicalities of operating this service in the U.S. Ultimately, it will be up to individual airlines to decide on the right inflight mobile connectivity package for their passengers, whether this is SMS only or the full service, including voice and data,” continued Rogers.

 

• Potential ruling will benefit passengers and airlines

United Kingdom | November 22, 2013–

Leading inflight mobile phone operator AeroMobile welcomes the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC)’s move to adopt regulations to permit the use of mobile devices in U.S. airspace.

Speaking in response to the announced agenda for the upcoming FCC meeting, AeroMobile CEO Kevin Rogers said that initiating a proceeding on inflight mobile connectivity was a step in the right direction, with benefits for both airlines and domestic and international travellers.

“We are in an era where being connected is expected and most airline passengers travel with a smartphone. Enabling mobile connectivity will enhance consumer choice and complement other inflight connectivity options available today,” said Rogers.

“The AeroMobile service operates almost seamlessly across the world, with the notable exception of the United States. We have many connected flights flying to and from the U.S. every day, and being able to offer connectivity in U.S. airspace will make a huge difference to the passenger experience,” continued Rogers.

AeroMobile’s inflight mobile service is active on more than 170 aircraft across nine airlines including Emirates, Etihad, SAS, Lufthansa, Aer Lingus and Virgin Atlantic.

All Virgin Atlantic flights between the United States and London Gatwick offer the AeroMobile service, as do all of Aer Lingus’ transatlantic flights from Ireland. Emirates, Etihad and Lufthansa all provide AeroMobile connectivity on selected routes into the U.S., with further roll-out planned over the coming months.

“The Notice of Proposed Rule Making is also great news for our current airline partners. As well as offering an improved service, extending coverage to the United States means increased ancillary revenues for those airlines that offer mobile connectivity,” said Rogers.

”And it’s good news for U.S. airlines, potentially enabling them to provide the same levels of onboard connectivity as their international competitors.”

“We are seeing increasing demand for our services as more and more airlines and passengers realise the benefits of inflight mobile connectivity. The ease of using your mobile phone inflight makes it perfect for checking voicemail, sending SMS messages, checking emails or updating your social media status,” continued Rogers.

“In fact, SMS is the most popular service on the AeroMobile network; 60 per cent of connected passengers use the inflight mobile network to send text messages. We’ve also seen data usage shoot up by more than 200 per cent this year,” added Rogers.

AeroMobile has over 240 agreements with mobile phone operators around the world including AT&T and T Mobile in the United States, meaning its inflight network is already accessible to U.S. travellers on international airlines.

 

Long-haul passengers can text and browse online at 30,000ft

London, UK | October 14, 2013– Passengers onboard Aer Lingus’ long-haul flights can now use their own mobile phones to text and browse the internet, using AeroMobile’s inflight roaming service.

All seven of the airline’s Airbus A330 aircraft, which serve the USA from the Republic of Ireland, are fitted with the AeroMobile service, meaning travellers can stay in touch with friends and family by SMS, or email a colleague at 30,000 feet.

Irish passengers using Three Ireland, Vodafone Ireland and O2 Ireland, as well as travellers from the US on AT&T and T Mobile can all access the AeroMobile network inflight. What’s more, AeroMobile has roaming agreements with over 220 mobile phone operators worldwide, from the Netherlands, the UAE and Singapore, to Estonia and New Zealand.

Inflight roaming has already proved a hit with travellers on connected flights in and out of Ireland; in the last six months more than 20,000 passengers have connected to the AeroMobile network on flights operated by Etihad, Emirates and SAS serving Ireland, sending 9,000 text messages from the cabin.

The service is just like roaming abroad; passengers simply turn on their mobile device to connect to the network, and are billed directly by their mobile operator. Prices are typically similar to ‘rest of world’ terrestrial roaming rates.

“With the launch of AeroMobile services on Aer Lingus’ transatlantic routes, Irish passengers  are certainly well-served with inflight connectivity; there are now up to 140 flights a week coming in and out of Ireland on AeroMobile-equipped aircraft,” said Kevin Rogers, CEO of AeroMobile.

“Aer Lingus is the third European carrier to launch our inflight mobile service on transatlantic flights, a route which is showing high demand from passengers who want to enjoy the same level of connectivity they have on the ground, but up in the air,” continued Rogers.

 

Lake  Forest, CA | September 27, 2013–  Singapore Airlines has taken to the skies with its first of eight new Boeing 777-300ERs equipped with Panasonic Avionics Corporation’s (Panasonic) true broadband Wi-Fi, mobile phone service and revolutionary in-flight entertainment experience.

Paul Margis, President and Chief Executive Officer of Panasonic Avionics Corporation stated, “By combining our latest IFE solutions with our Global Communications Services, Panasonic and Singapore Airlines have transformed the entertainment experience.  Passengers will be captivated by inflight entertainment content on high-performance HD monitors while they simultaneously stay connected, surf the web, text, and email — all at 30,000 feet.”

With partners Deutsche Telekom and AeroMobile, Panasonic will deliver broadband Wi-Fi, mobile data and services, and passengers will use their own devices to connect to their social networks, access real-time news and information, and communicate with their family, friends and co-workers. Using HDMI and USB interfaces, passengers can also integrate their personal device with KrisWorld and view their own content on large, high-definition displays.

Enabled by high performance 24-inch, 18-inch and 11-inch high-definition displays, SIA’s KrisWorld inflight entertainment system will feature Panasonic’s open platform technology that delivers a more personal experience and intuitive navigation similar to tablets and smartphones, including multi-tasking using the video touch screen handset as a “second screen.”

• SIA’s first AeroMobile-connected aircraft takes inaugural flight from Singapore to London

London, UK | September 27, 2013– Singapore Airlines’ first aircraft equipped with AeroMobile’s inflight mobile connectivity service took its inaugural flight from Singapore to London on 27 September 2013.

SIA’s new Boeing 777-300ER is the first of eight aircraft being delivered with cutting-edge inflight entertainment and connectivity (WiFi and GSM) solutions and hardware from Panasonic Avionics Corporation. The inflight mobile service, powered by AeroMobile,provides passengers with a way to stay connected during the flight.

Through AeroMobile’s inflight network, SIA customers will be able to use their own mobile phones to send text messages as well as browse the internet, with seamless service coverage between Singapore and London.

Travellers using any of the UK’s major mobile phone networks will be able to access the service. The same applies for subscribers of Singapore’s three main mobile operators; M1, SingTel and StarHub. AeroMobile also has roaming agreements with 220 other mobile operators worldwide.

“We’re delighted to add Singapore Airlines to our growing list of airline partners. They join the likes of Emirates, Etihad and Virgin Atlantic, all of which are contributing to the increases we’re seeing in inflight mobile use,” said Kevin Rogers, CEO of AeroMobile.

“Asia is a significant growth area for us, with more airlines scheduled to launch the service in the coming months. As well as Singapore Airlines we’re looking forward to working with Thai Airways and Garuda Indonesia in the not too distant future,” continued Rogers.

 

– Inflight roaming with AeroMobile now available on all major UK networks

London, UK | July 24, 2013– AeroMobile, the leading inflight mobile phone operator, has confirmed EE as its latest roaming partner. The move gives EE’s 26 million* customers across the UK the option to use their own mobile phones inflight.

AeroMobile already has over 220 agreements with mobile phone operators around the world including O2, Three and Vodafone in the UK.

Now passengers using any of the UK’s main mobile operators can make calls, text or browse online at 30,000ft, simply by connecting to the AeroMobile network.

So far this year, more than 120,000 UK-based passengers have used the AeroMobile service, sending 175,000 text messages and making 25,000 calls.

The AeroMobile service is active on 150 aircraft across nine airlines including Emirates, Etihad, SAS and Virgin Atlantic. All Virgin Atlantic flights between the US and London Gatwick offer the AeroMobile service, as well as selected flights from Manchester and Heathrow. Many flights from the UK to Dubai with Emirates and Etihad’s services from Heathrow to Abu Dhabi also provide AeroMobile connectivity.

“Adding EE to our portfolio of roaming partners opens up inflight connectivity to even more UK passengers,” says Kevin Rogers, CEO of AeroMobile.

“EE joins the three other big operators in the UK in offering mobile customers the option to use their own phones inflight, and with more and more airlines offering the service, we expect to see increasing numbers of passengers opting to stay connected inflight. In fact, our research shows that 70 per cent of travellers would use their mobile inflight if they had the option.”

“So far this year, more than 7,000 flights have flown to or from the UK with the AeroMobile service onboard, and we’re adding more airlines and more routes every month,” continued Rogers.

Passengers who use the service are billed by their mobile phone operator, and prices vary depending on individual contracts. Prices are typically similar to ‘rest of world’ rates, or in some cases, lower.

London, UK | May 29, 2013–From today (Wednesday 29 May), customers on selected Air France-KLM flights will be able to send text messages, check emails and browse the internet, thanks to Panasonic Avionics’ eXPhone service and AeroMobile, the leading inflight mobile phone operator.

The Dutch-French airline will launch the service on two flights today; a KLM flight from Amsterdam to Panama and an Air France flight from Paris Charles de Gaulle to New York JFK. The service will initially be available on two Boeing B777-300 aircraft.

A registered GSM service provider for the aviation industry, AeroMobile provides the mobile network for airline passengers to roam inflight.

Passengers on Air France-KLM flights will initially be able to use SMS and data services from the aircraft, as long as their mobile operator has a roaming agreement with AeroMobile.

AeroMobile has agreements with over 220 mobile phone operators across 100 countries, including Orange and Bouygues in France and Telfort, KPN and Vodafone in the Netherlands. UK-based roaming partners include O2, Three and Vodafone.

Passengers who use the service are billed by their mobile phone operator, and prices vary depending on individual contracts. Prices are typically similar to ‘rest of world’ rates, or in some cases, lower.

“We’re delighted to add Air France-KLM to the list of high-profile airlines already offering the AeroMobile service to their passengers,” said Kevin Rogers, CEO of AeroMobile.

“Since we launched in 2008, over 17 million passengers have connected to AeroMobile inflight and we’re seeing huge demand from consumers who want to stay connected in the air. We expect the number of aircraft offering our service to double over the next 12 months, as more and more airlines see the benefit of offering inflight connectivity,” continues Rogers.

IFExpress is probably never going to get caught up from the AIX fun in Hamburg but don’t tell us we didn’t try. Here is a news release from the then portable IFE supplier digEcor (with some 13,000 L7 portables sold) – who now has an installed IFE system called GLIDE. Here is their release: “Inflight entertainment leader digEcor, Inc. is excited to announce the recent signing of a deal to deliver their all new embedded inflight entertainment system, dubbed GLIDE IFE, to US charter carrier Air Transport International (ATI). Slated to launch on ATI’s fleet of Boeing 757 passenger-freighter Combi aircraft, digEcor is also providing an exciting lineup of digital entertainment options including Hollywood blockbusters and classics, the latest music and videos, and a suite of entertaining games. “We are excited to be the launch partner with digEcor and be the first to have the GLIDE IFE system,” said ATI President Dennis Manibusan. “We shopped around for an embedded system, and the GLIDE IFE system met all of our immediate needs in terms of cost, reliability, unctionality and providing a high level of passenger entertainment.” DigEcor’s Sales and Marketing Director Ben Fuller commented, “We’re more commonly known in the IFE industry as the portable provider and we’re thrilled to show our continued product diversity with our embedded GLIDE IFE. We’re honored to have ATI as our launch partner and we’re committed to their success moving forward.”For more information on GLIDE IFE or content services provided by digEcor, visit us online at www.digEcor.com.” We note that Ben told IFExpress that, “We finally found the right partner,” and we have it on authority that they have had a loot meetings with an Australian company. Here is a three seat group and a system block diagram. The digEcor folks told IFExpress that their progression from portable to imbedded was a logical growth step which is a path others have followed. In their case, the system looses a battery and docking station and inserts a Konotron server and WAP for the streaming solution. We note that they have an optional SSD memory and they tell us that more, bigger screen sizes are coming. The company is targeting the regional air line market, one that has a lot of growth potential. Said Ben, “We want to be a complete customer service provider.” That about says it all.

Meet Kevin Rogers, AeroMoblle’s new CEO. He has been with the company for 5 years but was originally from Telenor in the Regulations and Roaming business. If you remember, Telenor is based in Norway but Kevin is now back in the UK and we hear Pal Bjordal is going back to Norway. Kevin told IFExpress that the AeroMobile focus is to get more telephony on aircraft as the demand for voice, text (and email, for that matter) is booming. If you remember, AeroMobile is part of the Panasonic Global Communications Suite – AeroMobile provides the mobile phone part (biggest demand) while Panasonic builds the hardware for their platform residence. It makes sense because this way, Panasonic can provide the total solution – they provide the Wi-Fi and AeroMobile the phone. With phones, the billing and usage are clean and clearly understood, after all, inflight phone charges go directly to you phone bill – no airline collections, not to mention the lack of onboard hassle. No wonder everybody likes existing billing systems! “The airlines really have a choice as do the passengers,”noted Rogers, “as the phone solution provides a pretty low bandwidth solution, and if they want to use Facebook on their iPads or laptops, Wi-fi is also available.” The airlines want the passenger to have options and they offer both, and by in large, they install GSM and Wi-Fi.” Mr. Rogers also made it quite clear that the full connectivity solution, Wi-Fi, is fine for tho data geeks but the mobile phone user has voice, text and light Internet data so if you only have a mobile phone, connectivity is within the passenger’s reach. Kevin also pointed out that data roaming prices are coming down and he expects that it will reach the point whereby it is not considered a “premium service”. Certainly, IFExpress see’s the value of competition here and the tremendous traffic growth seen might be some indication of that fact. Further, they have launched a new website that now features B-to-C focus differing from the previous one that was more B-to-B. At the show AeroMobile announced a new Aer Lingus contract and Kevin expects five new customers this year with total airplane installations doubling.

If you are a fan of real-time, airline, flight tracking radars, we have a couple links for your viewing enjoyment: flightradar24 and radarbox24. Both websites place aircraft flights superimposed over your favorite location – US and Europe are amazing. China, on the other hand, looks devoid of air traffic but we know that is not true. We would like to hear from an air traffic genius as to why that is? We will let you know what we hear.

– Research by AeroMobile reveals mobile habits of traveling Brits

London, UK | May 23, 2013– A whopping 78 per cent of British travellers are happy to use their mobile phones on holiday, despite concerns about the cost.

Almost two thirds of people are worried about the effect roaming abroad will have on their pockets, according to the poll by AeroMobile, the leading mobile phone operator for the aviation industry.

The survey of 2,000 UK consumers revealed that most people (62 per cent) use their phones to keep in touch via text message when overseas, with only 13 per cent using them to check social media sites.

Just under a fifth currently use their mobile phones for browsing abroad, with men more likely than women to surf the web whilst away.

A fifth of Brits however admit to leaving their phones at home when they travel abroad.

Men are more likely to leave their phones at home, with 26 per cent of them travelling phone-less, compared to 16 per cent of women.

The older generation are also more likely to lock their phones away when they venture abroad; nearly 30 per cent of over 55s don’t travel with a mobile phone, compared to just 13 per cent of 25-34 year olds.

“What’s clear from this research is that there is demand, particularly from the younger generation, to be connected whenever, wherever. In the past roaming has been a contentious issue, but we’re now seeing better deals available for consumers who want to use their mobile devices overseas,” says Kevin Rogers, CEO of AeroMobile.

“Growth on the AeroMobile network, which provides a roaming service inflight, points to increasing demand from consumers who are happy to roam. We’ve seen a huge appetite for both SMS and mobile internet services at 30,000 feet; so far in 2013 data usage per flight has doubled and we’ve seen a 40 per cent increase in the number of text messages sent per flight. We’re confident we’ll see even more growth in this area over the coming months,” concludes Rogers.

– Inflight GSM operator launches consumer-friendly site

London, UK | April 16, 2013– AeroMobile, the leading mobile phone operator for the aviation industry, has launched a new-look website, AeroMobile.net.

The easy-to-use site provides all the information you need on inflight connectivity in one place, including details of which mobile phone operators have partnered with AeroMobile and which airlines currently offer the service.

The site, created by UK-based design agency Tobasgo Creative, is clear, simple, easy to navigate and responsive to smartphone and tablet display, meaning key information is delivered on-brand to mobile devices.

The new website includes an increased presence for social media, following the launch of AeroMobile’s Twitter feed earlier this year, and to encourage consumers to Tweet @AeroMobile at 30,000ft.

The site also features regularly updated news and blog posts, an FAQ section covering issues such as safety and cost, and an easy, step-by-step guide to using your mobile device inflight.

“We’re very excited to launch our new-look website. This represents an important step-change for AeroMobile; with an established service and increasing airline and mobile phone partners, now is the time to start engaging with the public,” says Kevin Rogers, CEO of AeroMobile.

“Our aim is to raise awareness; we want people to know that they can use their mobile phones and tablets inflight, that it’s perfectly safe and it doesn’t cost the earth,” continues Rogers.

“The look and feel of the website will be carried through all of our consumer-facing communication – online and offline – to help raise awareness and increase engagement. It’s visually engaging, so will definitely make an impact,” concludes Rogers.

– Irish demonstrate increasing demand for inflight mobile services, reports AeroMobile

London, UK | March 5, 2013– Irish tourists and business travellers have been quick to adopt inflight mobile services, according to AeroMobile, the leading mobile phone operator for the aviation industry.

Just 12 months after the first AeroMobile-connected flight to Dublin, the service provider has already transferred 25,000 text messages and 900 calls on flights to and from Ireland. Over 10,000 mobile devices have connected to the AeroMobile network on Irish flights.

Emirates and Etihad both operate flights to and from Ireland with AeroMobile connectivity onboard; the airlines fly from Dublin to Dubai and Abu Dhabi respectively. SAS also operate connected flights from Oslo and in the coming weeks Aer Lingus will be adding AeroMobile services to a number of long haul aircraft.

Kevin Rogers, CEO of AeroMobile, said: “At AeroMobile we’ve seen demand for inflight connectivity double over the past 12 months, and we’re pleased to see an increasing appetite for the service from Irish mobile users. With smartphone ownership on the rise, it makes sense that more and more consumers want to use their devices in the sky.”

“In 2013 we expect at least ten flights a day on Irish routes to offer AeroMobile’s network onboard. That’s 300 flights every month or 3,650 a year,” continues Rogers.

AeroMobile is a UK-based GSM service provider for the aviation industry and a member of the GSMA. The company provides technology and services that allow the safe use of passenger’s own mobile phones onboard aircraft; the AeroMobile system is approved for use by aviation authorities around the world, including the FAA and EASA.

AeroMobile currently has roaming agreements with over 215 mobile phone operators, covering more than 100 countries worldwide.

– Change of leadership at aviation GSM operator

London, UK | February 27, 2013– AeroMobile, the leading mobile phone operator for the aviation industry, has announced the appointment of Kevin Rogers as CEO. Rogers, previously Head of Revenue Development at AeroMobile, takes over from Pal Bjordal, who has led the company for the past two and a half years.

Bjordal will return to his native Norway and to the Oslo-based headquarters of Telenor, one of the world’s largest telecoms companies and a major shareholder in AeroMobile.

Rogers joined AeroMobile in February 2008 from Telenor, where he was Director and Vice President of Group Marketing.
He has also held a number of roles with Nortel Networks, including Director of Sales for the company’s Canadian operation.

Rogers will take over Bjordal’s responsibilities from 1 March, driving forward the company’s plans for expansion in 2013.

“Pal has laid the foundations for a very exciting phase in AeroMobile’s development; we have seen accelerated growth over the past 12 months and 2013 promises to be a landmark year for us,” said Kevin Rogers, CEO of AeroMobile.
“I’m delighted to be taking over the reins at such a crucial stage in the company’s development; this year we’ve already seen traffic on the network outstrip the last six months of 2012, and we’re aiming to double the number of airlines offering the AeroMobile service before the end of the year,” continues Rogers.