World ATM Congress, Madrid | March 10, 2015– SITA OnAir, the leading connected aircraft provider, today announced a partnership to improve air traffic communications in the Danube Functional Airspace Block (FAB) supplementing voice with the more reliable data link.

Together with air navigation service providers (ANSPs) Bulgarian Air Traffic Services Authority (BULATSA), and the Romanian Air Traffic Services Administration (ROMATSA), SITA OnAir is enabling Controller Pilot Data Link Communication (CPDLC) services to the control centers. This move is in compliance with the EC regulation 29/2009, which comes into force as part of the Single European Sky initiative. The Danube FAB manages some 10% of the overfly air traffic in the European Union.

CPDLC enables air traffic controllers and pilots to communicate via text, rather than the traditional voice communication. This improves the quality of communications and improves the overall safety and efficiency of air traffic management. European regulations mandate that all aircraft flying in Europe and all air traffic control ground systems have to be equipped with CPDLC.

SITA OnAir has worked closely with BULATSA and ROMATSA to set up the network to facilitate communications across ATN, the most advanced data link communications protocol.

Ion-Aurel Stanciu, Director General, ROMATSA, said: “Our partnership with SITA OnAir is a great step forward for the Danube FAB and moves us closer to the Single European Sky. We look forward to benefiting from the efficiencies and safety enhancements data link will bring.”

Georgi Peev, Director General, BULATSA, added: “SITA OnAir’s dedication to the air transport industry and expertise made the implementation of data link a smooth process for BULATSA. Together we are improving the air traffic services for the million flights we manage across the Danube FAB each year.”

SITA OnAir’s partnership with BULATSA and ROMATSA includes the provision of ATN routers and VHF ground stations across each country which will allow both ANSPs to implement datalink communication between the aircraft pilots and ground controllers.

François Bardin, Director Air Traffic Solutions, SITA OnAir, said: “By partnering with SITA OnAir, BULATSA and ROMATSA have taken a step forward on the road to the Single European Sky. Flights over the Danube FAB will now enjoy the use of data channels where messages are unambiguous and available on screen in the cockpit. This is an initial step towards implementation of SESAR developed concepts such as the 4D Trajectory Data Link (4DTRAD) Service”

Other European FABs already enjoying the benefits of a partnership with SITA OnAir include FABEC (Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Switzerland) and South West FAB (Portugal, Spain).

• Mobile OnAir usage doubled last year

Aircraft Interiors Middle East, Dubai | February 3, 2015– SITA OnAir is celebrating another successful year with 13 million people taking advantage of Mobile OnAir in 2014. The inflight mobile phone service, Mobile OnAir is now flying on 15 airlines worldwide. Over the year, 37% of passengers flying OnAir-equipped aircraft connected to the inflight network.

The demand for mobile connectivity has never been higher, with 80% of passengers carrying smartphones. In 2014, mobile data was the most popular service, used by 65% of the passengers who connected to OnAir’s onboard mobile network; mobile data includes email, social media updates and surfing the Internet. Text messaging accounted for 31% of usage and phone calls made up 21%. Many passengers use Mobile OnAir for all three activities, as people do on the ground. Over the coming years, mobile data usage will continue to grow, driven by smartphone penetration. Voice also remains an important service, especially for business passengers.

There are some surprising regional differences. Standout examples include 58% of Egyptian users choosing to make phone calls, 82% of passengers from the Philippines using text messaging, and 84% of UK users sending emails over Mobile OnAir.

“People want to use their phones everywhere, including during flights, and Mobile OnAir makes that very simple: just turn on your phone and start using it,” said François Rodriguez, Chief Strategy & Marketing Officer of SITA OnAir. “Phones are now such an integral part of our lives, it’s impossible to imagine leaving home without one. These usage numbers show very clearly that people don’t want to switch off at the aircraft door.

“Inflight mobile phone usage is not causing the disruption the naysayers have predicted,” continued Rodriguez.” Millions of people connected inflight on planes last year without a single complaint about noisy phone calls.”

Mobile OnAir usage levels are particularly high because SITA OnAir partners with mobile phone operators across the world to provide the very best deals. The resulting lower prices are made very clear by the phone companies, encouraging people to use the service. For example, one of SITA OnAir’s newest customers is SriLankan Airlines. Dialog Axiata, the leading mobile operato in Sri Lanka, is providing 20MB of free data for its premium customers when they fly on SriLankan. SITA OnAir is developing other similar deals with phone companies across the world.

Mobile OnAir is also highly convenient, which further stimulates usage. As with international roaming, the cost is included in passengers’ regular mobile phone bills, so there is no need to enter credit card details.

SITA OnAir has over 375 roaming agreements, covering 2.6 million mobile phone subscribers.

Mobile OnAir is currently available on flag carriers, as well as other major airlines, including Azerbaijan Airways, British Airways, Egyptair, Emirates, Etihad, Iberia, Libyan Airlines, Oman Air, Philippine Airlines, Qatar Airways, Royal Jordanian, Saudia, Singapore Airlines, SriLankan Airlines and TAAG Angola.

SITA OnAir is the preferred provider of mobile phone services. These airlines make up 63% of all the airlines that offer inflight mobile phone services, making SITA OnAir the firm market leader in the inflight mobile phone market.

Click here for the latest stats on Mobile OnAir usage (http://bit.ly/1uRAWIT)

• OnAir Wi-Fi is now even simpler to use

Aircraft Interiors Middle East, Dubai | February 2, 2015– SAUDIA has become the first airline to develop and provide passengers with a dedicated mobile phone application for free inflight Wi-Fi. Passengers simply scan their ticket’s bar code for free Wi-Fi access.

All of SAUDIA’s First class and Business passengers flying on the airline’s A330s and B777-300s on international routes receive a promotional code when they scan their Boarding Passes via the mobile application. They then use the code to access their free Wi-Fi on the OnAir portal.

“Our new app makes it as simple as possible for passengers to access the Internet by just using the Boarding Passes in their pocket,” said Mr. Abdulrahman H Alfahad, VP Marketing & Product Management at SAUDIA. “We know just how much passengers value being in touch on email and social media. We like to keep Saudi Arabia’s 7.8 million Facebook users connected when they fly.”

The mobile application is the easiest and most efficient distribution channel for free inflight Wi-Fi codes to date. Passengers download the app from Apple store and soon on Android devices.

Saudi Arabians are the most prolific users of the Internet via their smartphones in the Middle East. In 2014, 8.5 million people used the internet. Saudi Arabia’s smartphone penetration rate of 72.8% also places it in the world’s top three countries. In 2014, 35,000 SAUDIA passengers used the free Wi-Fi, a number which will certainly be enhanced by this mobile app.

“More and more airlines are providing free Wi-Fi as an integral part of the passenger experience and SAUDIA is the first to provide a specific app for inflight connectivity,” said Ian Dawkins, CEO of SITA OnAir. “This is the right response to passenger demand. Airlines are developing new and innovative ways to differentiate their connectivity, particularly since Wi-Fi and mobile phone services become commoditized in the air, as they already are on the ground.”

• Qatar: launch customer for OnAir’s connectivity

Geneva | January 7, 2015– OnAir’s full inflight connectivity suite, including Mobile OnAir and Internet OnAir, is being installed as line fit on Qatar Airways’ brand new A350s the first of which was unveiled in Doha today, January 7, 2015. Passengers can now choose between mobile phone connectivity and Wi-Fi, depending on their preference.

While flying, passengers have been taking to social media to say how much they like inflight connectivity and appreciate staying online.

“OnAir’s innovation has ensured that the internal technology matches the ground-breaking work that has gone into the construction of the A350,” said Ian Dawkins, CEO of OnAir. “We are helping Qatar Airways give its passengers the most up-to-date solutions which fall in line with passengers’ expectations of a 5-Star Airline.”

OnAir’s next generation inflight connectivity services, using GX Aviation, will be launched on the A350 in 2016. Inmarsat’s ground-breaking global Ka-band network will provide up to 50Mbs to the aircraft. Importantly, the passenger experience will be consistent across the globe.

“OnAir has been at the forefront of the inflight connectivity market since the very beginning. I am very proud that we’re continuing our tradition with another first for the industry with the launch of GX Aviation,” continued Ian Dawkins.  “We understand the importance of providing the very best services available to the aircraft. Qatar Airways is a long-standing and loyal OnAir customer – its choice of OnAir inflight connectivity for its A350s speaks volumes about the service we are able to deliver.”

The OnAir-connected A350 will initially fly on the Doha-Frankfurt route.

MEBA, Dubai | December 7, 2014– The Middle East business aviation market is the most sophisticated user of inflight connectivity, according to OnAir, the world’s leading provider of inflight mobile phone and Wi-Fi services.

VIP and corporate jets use inflight connectivity for both the cockpit and the cabin. In the cockpit, connectivity is used to enhance the efficiency of the flight. In the cabin, it is used to replicate the office, ensuring travel time is used well. Aircraft owners and passengers can continue working as if they were in their office, with access to the corporate network.

With Mobile OnAir service increasingly provided on business jets, passengers benefit from real freedom to communicate whenever they wish.

“The business jet market typically leads the way with any technology innovation and connectivity is no exception,” said Stephan Egli, Chief Commercial Officer, OnAir. “One of the key differentiators of Mobile OnAir is that it gives any passenger the ability to use their mobile phone exactly as they do on the ground. That includes the same simplicity and privacy, without anyone needing to know where you are, which can be extremely important. Confidentiality is preserved.”

OnAir has over 60 customers around the world, including government and VIP aircraft, as well as commercial airlines across the Middle East and the rest of the world. OnAir provides them all with consistent global coverage, whether they are flying over land or water, on every route.

OnAir’s products, including both mobile phone and Wi-Fi services, are available on all aircraft types, from the Airbus A380 to the more typical VIP aircraft types. For example, OnAir is available as line fit on Airbus Corporate Jets, as well as Dassault’s flagship, the Falcon 7X. It is also available as retro fit on all converted airliners, and OnAir has well-established partnerships with the best completion centres around the world.

As an Inmarsat Distribution Partner for both SwiftBroadband and GX Aviation services, OnAir is perfectly placed to meet VIP operators’ needs for today and tomorrow.

Los Angeles, CA | August 4, 2014/Globe Newswire/– Global Eagle Entertainment (Nasdaq:ENT), a worldwide leading provider of content and connectivity solutions for airlines, has successfully launched WISE?W(ireless Inflight Services and Entertainment) on select Middle Eastern routes on-board Philippine Airlines. The software platform has been deployed through a technological partnership with OnAir’s new wireless inflight entertainment (IFE) solution, OnAir Play, and on Philippine Airlines’ In Air Wireless Entertainment product.

The launch of WISE? oPnhilippine Airlines is a major achievement in IFE, with Global Eagle Entertainment (GEE) setting the standard for management and delivery of wireless IFE to airlines. GEE’s vast content library and deep network of relationships with studios and distributors ensures a consistent pipeline of entertainment streamed to passengers’ personal electronic devices, including popular movies, TV shows, music, games and digital publications.

Designed as a hardware-agnostic solution, WISE? is a flexible and conte-ndtriven IFE platform that powers the software backbone of OnAir Play. WISE? supports most popular mobile devices, laptops and tablets, including Apple iOS and Android operating systems, as well as all major Internet browsers. It features a robust Digital Rights Management (DRM) solution for secured content streaming approved by major Hollywood studios, while also offering ancillary revenue opportunities, such as payment and purchasing options in both connected and non-connected environments.

“We’re delighted to have launched WISE? oPnhilippine Airlines with OnAir,” explained Walé Adepoju, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer for Global Eagle Entertainment. “We are partnering with several leading hardware providers, including OnAir, with whom we share the vision for the future development of the wireless IFE market. We believe that the integrated software and content model that we have created for WISE? provides airlines with a powerful portal to offer passengers an interactive and more enjoyable travel experience.”

“Having a broad content program for our new wireless IFE service is an important amenity for our passengers,” added Ramon S. Ang, President & COO of Philippine Airlines. “Global Eagle Entertainment already provides content services for our seat- back IFE systems and we’re excited to be able to extend this same level of quality entertainment seamlessly through our wireless offering.”

“OnAir Play is the obvious choice for Philippine Airlines. It is the right product for today’s passengers who increasingly want the choice of accessing entertainment content on their own personal devices,” commented François Rodriguez, Director of Strategy and Marketing of OnAir.

• First OnAir European customer to offer GSM and Wi-Fi on Americas routes

Geneva, Switzerland | July 1, 2014– Iberia is now offering OnAir’s inflight connectivity on transatlantic routes. Starting today, Iberia passengers flying between Europe and the Americas can use the inflight Wi-Fi and GSM during the flight.

Iberia is the leading airline on routes to and from Europe and Latin America, with the most flights and destinations between the two continents. The introduction of inflight connectivity is part of the airline’s plan to improve the customer experience.

By 2015, both Mobile OnAir and Internet OnAir will be installed on 25 Iberia A330s and A340s. Passengers on these long-haul aircraft can use their phones and tablets to chat, tweet and send text messages.

“There will be no more waiting to update your social media status or wondering what’s happening in the office,” said Ian Dawkins, CEO of OnAir. “Passengers can be connected on routes across the whole world.”

OnAir provides global coverage, thanks to its unique network of authorizations from over 100 countries and more than 375 roaming agreements, combined with Inmarsat SwiftBroadband’s worldwide satellite coverage. It gives the airline’s passengers exactly the same service wherever they are in the world.

“We’re very pleased that another European airline is now providing our inflight connectivity,” continued Dawkins. “Other regions, particularly the Middle East and Asia, are moving ahead fast with satellite-based connectivity and European carriers are at risk of having to play catch-up. I’m sure this will be the wake-up call they need to start proving what passengers want: the ability to stay in touch during flights.”

Geneva | June 24, 2014– Saudia has become the first airline in the Middle East to offer free Wi-Fi to its first class and business class passengers. The promotion, which started on 19 May, is available on flights between the Kingdom of Saudia Arabia and US destinations, as well as London Heathrow, Paris Charles de Gaulle and Dubai.

Saudia’s inflight connectivity is provided by OnAir. The airline is giving all premium passengers vouchers for Internet OnAir, providing free Internet access for the entire flight. In the first few weeks of the promotion, Saudia has seen a dramatic rise in usage figures. The number of people using inflight internet is up 140% across the Saudia fleet and those people are consuming triple the amount of data, compared to figures immediately before the promotion started.

“Internet access has proved to be very popular with all our passengers since we started offering OnAir services nearly four years ago,” said Mr. Abdulmohsen Jonaid, Chief Commercial Officer of Saudia. “We are now breaking new ground by being the first Middle East airline to give free Internet access to our first and business class passengers. We firmly believe other airlines will, in due course, follow our lead.”

OnAir’s SwiftBroadband-based inflight connectivity first flew on Saudia’s A330s in September 2010. Three years later, the airline installed connectivity on more A330s, as well as on its three-class B777 fleet. And it was announced at the Aircraft Interiors Expo in April that when Saudia’s B787s start flying at the end of 2015, they will also be fully equipped with OnAir connectivity.

“Saudia is already at the forefront of cabin connectivity, providing both Internet OnAir and Mobile OnAir, our GSM product, on its long-haul fleets. By giving free inflight connectivity to premium passengers Saudia is really setting the standard.” said Stephan Egli, Chief Commercial Officer of OnAir. “Expanding OnAir connectivity to another fleet shows how much Saudia and its passengers value the ability to stay in touch throughout the flight.”

OnAir’s unique network of authorizations from over 100 countries combined with more than 375 roaming agreements is one of the key reasons Saudia has selected OnAir. It gives the airline’s passengers exactly the same service wherever they are in the world.

Geneva | June 16, 2014– With the ending of the FCC’s consultation period on the extension of the access to mobile wireless services onboard aircraft, OnAir is once again urging the telecoms regulator, as well as the FAA, to define the legal framework and to give the decision about inflight cell phone usage to airlines. It is also calling on the Federal Government not to pass legislation banning inflight cell phone use.

“The US authorities have three choices,” said Ian Dawkins, CEO of OnAir. “You can give the airlines the right tools to allow them to decide what services to offer passengers. You can allow airlines from the rest of the world to offer cell phone services when they are in your airspace. The third option is to try to stop progress with a ban.”

It is clear that inflight connectivity is a growing market in the US, as it is across the world. Skift, the leading travel intelligence company, recently published the results of a survey showing that only 18% of air passengers in the US have used inflight connectivity, suggested a significant potential for growth. The survey also showed that 18-24 year olds are the most likely to use inflight connectivity to communicate with their friends, family and colleagues on the ground.

“People embarking on their careers have grown up being able to stay in touch wherever, whenever and however they want,” said Dawkins. “Tomorrow’s business people don’t want to be out of touch just because they are flying, particularly when there is no reason for imposing a ban.”

The evidence is clear. OnAir provides inflight cell phone and Wi-Fi services to 21 airlines around the world, including leading global airlines such as Aeroflot, British Airways, Emirates, Philippine Airlines, Qatar Airways and Singapore Airlines. Mobile OnAir, the inflight cell phone service, has flown on millions of flights across the world since 2007, with the full backing of over 100 national authorities. Airlines have the choice of turning off the voice element, leaving mobile data only. They can choose to disable the voice service permanently, or during the plane’s quiet times.

Passengers typically use Mobile OnAir for data – largely email – to update Facebook and Twitter, and for text messaging. Voice calls, which cost around $3-$4 per minute, account for slightly over 10% of total inflight usage and the average call length is under two minutes. Mobile OnAir is currently on around 20,000 flights a month and nearly 700,000 passengers connect to OnAir each month.

Dawkins continued, “Concerns about people using cell phones on planes are misplaced. Mobile OnAir started flying in 2007. Since then, across the world on millions of flights, there hasn’t been a single complaint about disruption caused by people using their cell phones, nor has there been any interference with ground networks or aeronautical systems. And that applies to flights across the world, with people of all nationalities, including Americans.”

OnAir’s is not the only voice calling for airlines to have the choice. The Telecommunications Industry Association, the Information Technology and Industry Council and the Consumer Electronics Association have all called for the authorities to allow carriers to decide what is best for them and for their passengers.

“Passengers have been using their cell phones during flights across the world for nearly seven years,” concluded Dawkins. “The US is at great risk of lagging behind.”

One of the AIX show quotes that stood out was from Aurelie Branchereau-Giles, PR & Comms Officer, OnAir, and she summed up the OnAir ‘difference’ thusly: “What makes OnAir stand apart – consistent coverage, wherever our customers fly. You can see it in our customer base: we have more airline customers in more places than any other connectivity provider. We’ve worked hard to build a network of authorizations from over 100 countries, as well as roaming agreements with more than 350 mobile network operators. No-one else can provide the same coverage and that’s why airlines around the world come to OnAir time after time.” By Aurelie Branchereau-Giles, PR & Comms Officer, OnAir. And while we are on the subject, OnAir released the first customer for OnAir Play – Philippine Airlines is the launch customer of OnAir Play, OnAir’s latest Wireless-IFE product, on all the airline’s new international routes. The company noted: “OnAir Play is revolutionizing the way people consume content during the flight, by combining multimedia inflight entertainment with Internet OnAir. Passengers stream or download the on-demand content they choose to their own personal electronic devices, like they do at home using TV channels’ on-demand apps. And because the W-IFE will be fully integrated with the plane’s connectivity, time-critical information, such as live news and sports highlights, will be constantly updated throughout the flight.”

With regard to Boeing engineering redistribution in the US, one reader wrote in to IFExpress; “Progressive thoughts for decades for manufacturing companies was to have engineers as close as possible to the plant floor – even right on the floor (my idol Kelly Johnson did that 50-60 years ago). When we did the 757, just having half of engineering spread all over Renton in leased buildings was big-time bad news, and the endless teleconferences were more bad than good. Here’s the problem in a nutshell – (today) Boeing thinks that designing and building transport airplanes is an off-the-shelf commodity that can be set up anywhere in a green-field and staffed with local people who last week worked at McDonalds!” For more see this article.

Top 10 best US airlines, in infographic format. (Editor’s Note: This graphic was not developed by the IFExpress team.)

Undoubtedly, airlines with connectivity will see more demand. Then, connectivity is one key to more passengers. Why? One source was quoted; “The way we work, the products we sell, and how industries operate are shaped by information. Any role, function or department that can be improved by information will change, and rapidly. Consequently, information and the technology enabling its use are becoming competitive weapons, and the basis of delivering previously inconceivable value to customers.” CNN Money, Aaron Levie. Face it, airlines will at least be in the information service business and they know it – that’s why there is a Wi-Fi gold rush!

Food for thought! Another reader responded (off the record) to an IFExpress article about battery powered personal hardware used for IFE. “The question you (IFExpress) missed was; Although certification is not strictly required for carry-on devices, due to recent battery fires on 787 and rules regarding ELC batteries for carry-on’s suggests that any airline will require battery testing prior to (equipment) placement on board and what are the fire precautions for thermal runaway? Certification (for these devices) is a real issue… the battery requirements for radios and CPU’s for 80 people would be such that the batteries are regarded as an explosive device, and as such, certification (although not legally needed today) would be required for an airlines piece of mind.”

We could not let this go without a mention, but Ford CEO Mulally is retiring from Ford where he spent his years after leaving Boeing in 2006. He was known there as the man who bet on the company, by betting the company ($23 Billion), and won. While stories at Ford are legendary, early on he chalked “Can’t we just work together?” on a blackboard during a heated “he-said, she-said” meeting at Ford, and thus, began the corporate turnaround. At Boeing, the Puget Sound Biz Journal reported: “Washingtonians close to the aerospace industry often mourn Mulally’s decision to leave Boeing to become CEO of Ford Motor Company in 2006, saying that if he’d stayed, the years of chaos with the Boeing 787 Dreamliner wouldn’t have happened. Mulally ran the Boeing Commercial Airplanes division from 1998 to 2006.” No doubt, the logistical nightmare of the B787 outsourcing and the shift to worldwide production plagued the Dreamliner delivery schedule and caused Boeing to purchase two South Carolina companies. The rest there is history. Mulally was Executive VP of Boeing when IFExpress interviewed him and since we lost our notes from way back then, we remember one thing, his mantra – “Work Together”. We guess he did not mean it geographically.

Have you heard that AT&T may buy DirecTV? This really makes the rumors of AT&T getting into the US inflight connectivity market interesting. The airplane phones and Wi-Fi connectivity were thought to be sent up via 4G LTE from the ground. The DirecTV deal brings speculation betting on the possibility of voice and data satcom-based connectivity. We say “speculation” because if an AT&T satcom antenna gets installed onboard for DirecTV, why not do the whole connectivity job via satellite? One issue may be the usage cost, but what does it cost to install a couple hundred ground-based antennas?

With the naming of the Washington State University’s Business School after Scott Carson we have to mention that not only is he a great choice for the honor, Scott, during his Boeing tenure, was one of the nicest Boeing VIP’s IFExpress ever worked with. Go Coug’s!

• OnAir’s complete wireless inflight entertainment solution boots up aboard Philippine Airlines

Geneva | May 13, 2014– Philippine Airlines is the launch customer of OnAir Play, OnAir’s latest Wireless-IFE product, on all the airline’s new international routes. Philippine Airlines has become the first carrier in Asia-Pacific to provide its passengers with fully integrated connectivity and inflight entertainment.

OnAir Play is revolutionizing the way people consume content during the flight, by combining multimedia inflight entertainment with Internet OnAir. Passengers stream or download the on-demand content they choose to their own personal electronic devices, like they do at home using TV channels’ on-demand apps. And because the W-IFE will be fully integrated with the plane’s connectivity, time-critical information, such as live news and sports highlights, will be constantly updated throughout the flight.

Philippine Airlines’ passengers will be able to choose from a wide selection of movies catering to all type of passengers. The magazines available on the e-reader feature of OnAir Play include Bon Appétit, Condé Nast Traveller, Vanity Fair, and National Geographic. The next stage is to include the digital version of the duty free catalogue.

OnAir Play is a low-cost, flexible upgrade from OnAir’s existing connectivity products. And it is simple to operate. Airlines can also brand OnAir products to ensure brand consistency across the complete passenger experience.

“We are expanding our long-haul network rapidly, with plans to open routes to Australia, the US and beyond,” said Ramon Ang, President of Philippine Airlines. “We are expanding our fleet and we want to offer the latest cabin entertainment options available. There is no doubt that merging entertainment with connectivity provides a fun way of spending time during the flight. Our passengers can now access the content they want, when they want it, on the device of their choice.”

“OnAir Play is the obvious choice for the airline. It is the right product for today’s passengers who increasingly want the choice of accessing entertainment content on their own personal devices,” said Ian Dawkins, CEO of OnAir.

OnAir Play will be retro fitted to Philippine Airlines’ A330s, which already have Mobile OnAir and Internet OnAir, OnAir’s full GSM and Wi-Fi connectivity package. It is a natural add-on product to OnAir’s connectivity portfolio to be gradually rolled out across the network.

By launching OnAir Play, Philippine Airlines is staying one step ahead of the market.

• OnAir GSM and Wi-Fi to be installed on new A330 fleet

Aircraft Interiors, Hamburg | April 9, 2014 – SriLankan Airlines has signed up for OnAir’s inflight mobile phone and Wi-Fi services. By the 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.”

Like more than 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 both 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.

AIX, Hamburg | April 9, 2014– TAAG Angola Airlines has become OnAir’s first Sub-Saharan African customer – line fitting its new B777-300ER fleet with Internet OnAir and Mobile OnAir. The airline will use Thales’ TopConnect to access OnAir’s inflight Wi-Fi and mobile phone services on its new fleet, to be delivered from May 2014.

OnAir offers a consistent, reliable service across Africa and all the routes the airline flies, thanks to the widest-reaching network of regulatory approvals and the largest and most geographically diverse number of roaming agreements of any provider.

With authorizations from over 100 countries and more than 375 roaming agreements, OnAir provides consistent coverage on all the major routes across the world. In addition, OnAir uses Inmarsat’s SwiftBroadband satellite network, the only network to provide worldwide coverage.

“TAAG is an ambitious airline, leading the modernization of air transport in Angola,” said Captain Lourenço Manuel Gomes Neto, Executive Vice President Operations, TAAG Angola Airlines. “OnAir connectivity, in the form of inflight Wi-Fi and GSM, gives our passengers the freedom to stay in touch with the world outside the aircraft, strongly enhancing their experience. The worldwide service reliability is particularly important, given the routes we fly across from and across Africa.”

Passengers flying on TAAG Angola’s B777-300ER will experience the full benefits of OnAir connectivity. The inflight Wi-Fi solution, Internet OnAir, enables passengers to email, update their social media, and browse news sites. Like a Wi-Fi hotspot on the ground, passengers only need to log on and their enter credit card details before they are free to surf the Internet.

Passengers can also use OnAir’s inflight GSM product, Mobile OnAir, to email, text, talk, and use their mobile apps as they please. Charges are included in the user’s monthly phone bill, exactly like using international roaming.

“This new deal with TAAG Angola Airlines shows that cabin connectivity is now a truly global market,” said Ian Dawkins, CEO of OnAir. “We are in the strongest position to make inflight connectivity a truly worldwide phenomenon, given the breadth and depth of our regulatory and roaming agreement networks. On top of SwiftBroadband’s consistency across the world, this means we can offer an uncompromised service to all airlines, wherever they might be.”

Aircraft Interiors, Hamburg | April 9, 2014– Kuwait Airways became the tenth Middle East customer to choose OnAir as its connectivity provider, for 12 new aircraft as part of its privatization and complete fleet upgrade. The airline has ordered five A330s and seven A320s, all of which will be line fitted with Mobile OnAir and Internet OnAir. The first A320 and first A330 will be delivered in December 2014 and May 2015 respectively.

OnAir is now the pre-eminent provider in the Middle East, which is fast emerging as the leading region in the world for inflight connectivity. This was recognised at Aircraft Interiors Middle East show where OnAir was named Best Connectivity Provider at the Inflight IFEC Awards.

Established in 1954, Kuwait Airways is an international airline flying routes all over the world, needing connectivity coverage wherever it flies. OnAir connectivity uses Inmarsat’s SwiftBroadband global network. Alongside its widespread regulatory coverage, this means OnAir can provide Kuwait Airways’ passengers the same level of service on all of KAC’s network.

Kuwait chose to line fit its new aircraft with Airbus’ ALNAv2 network architecture. This line fitting option is affordable and does not require any additional antennae.

“OnAir was the right offering for us,” said Rasha Al-Roumi – Kuwait Airways Chairperson. “On top of the proven SwiftBroadband service which is available line fit on our new aircraft now, OnAir has GX Aviation capability waiting in the wings. We can offer passengers the connectivity they expect from a leading airline, as well as formulate a plan for the easy transfer to GX Aviation when it is available.”

OnAir’s SwiftBroadband solution has a clear deployment path to GX Aviation, Inmarsat’s imminent high speed network. OnAir’s service is ready for the next major step in inflight connectivity.

“Kuwait Airways chose OnAir because of our proven credentials in the Middle East market,” said Ian Dawkins, CEO of OnAir. “Only we can deliver the consistent global coverage that passengers want, so they can stay in touch with the family, friends and colleagues throughout their journey.”

Aircraft Interiors, Hamburg | April 8, 2014– After equipping its A330 and B777 fleets with OnAir’s services, Saudia’s B787 aircraft will become the latest fleet to be connected. All of Saudia’s long-haul fleets are now connected with OnAir.

Saudia is the second B787 operator to offer OnAir connectivity, reaffirming OnAir’s position as the leading inflight connectivity provider.

The first of Saudia’s eight B787s is due for delivery in December 2015. Saudia’s decision to include OnAir connectivity on its Dreamliners confirms the success of OnAir’s GSM and Wi-Fi services on its other fleets. The airline has seen a 400 percent increase in mobile data usage and 254 percent increase in internet usage over the last 12 months. The aircraft will be equipped with a Thales TopConnect solution enabling access to OnAir’s Wi-Fi Internet and mobile phone services over Inmarsat SwiftBroadband (SBB).

The provision of OnAir connectivity services on this B787 fleet marks a significant milestone in Saudia’s efforts to implement a seamless, consistent brand offering across all its fleets. Saudia’s commitment to OnAir as its preferred service provider is integral to the effective execution of this strategy. The versatility of OnAir’s services make them the right ones to be launched across a variety of aircraft types.

“Saudia is very happy to be expanding our cabin connectivity with OnAir services,” said Mr. Abdul Mohsen Jonaid, Chief Commercial Officer of Saudia. “We have seen how well our inflight connectivity has been received by passengers and OnAir is the natural choice for us when we decided to include connectivity on our B787s. Passengers want and expect to be connected and we want to provide the best passenger experience.”

OnAir connectivity has been flying with Saudia for four years. During this time, OnAir has partnered with the airline through various fleet expansions, as well as providing connectivity for new routes that the airline has introduced. OnAir has provided the level of coverage necessary to maintain a high consistency of service across all the routes that Saudia flies.

“It is great to see new agreements coming as the result of existing relationships with airlines,” said Ian Dawkins, CEO of OnAir. “Saudia’s entire long range fleet is now connected with OnAir. We have gained Saudia’s trust by consistently delivering on all our commitments. This has cemented our long term partnership and put it firmly on track for future growth.”

It’s no secret that AIX is the worlds biggest Aircraft Interiors show (perhaps up to 10,000 visitors this year) and we wanted to give you a quick look at a few show-goers who have contacted us with booth and product information. Of course IFExpress will be there searching for new products and product improvements, new services, and interviews with the folks who bring you IFExpress. You can reach us via email: plwiseman@gmail.com, Mobile/Text: +1 206 229 7899, and we will have the Fire Chat app turned on (TerryW).

Aircraft Cabin Systems:
Booth #: 6C37
ACS will feature IFE Displays (10.4”-65” and 9.7”) as well as their recently patented 12” Retractable monitor at AIX this April. Additionally, ACS is collaborating with TEAC during AIX. TEAC is introducing their new video player at the Expo.
Contact: Charles Reerink
Mobile: + 33 608 907 746
Contact: Rick Routly
Email: rroutly@aircraftcabinsystems.com
Contact:Yukio Sugimoto
Email: sugimotoy@aircraftcabinsystems.com
Contact: Richie Sugimoto
Email: rich@aircraftcabinssytems.com

Armstrong Aerospace
The Armstrong Aerospace PowerBox™ and PowerBar™ are revolutionary off-seat power solutions that are available today. PowerBox™ and PowerBar™ attach to the floor seat tracks and do not touch the seats they are installed to support. This greatly eases the installation and risk for upgrading your cabin, and it ensures no new seat TSO activities or seat recertification efforts are required. PowerBox™ and PowerBar™ are capable of being used with any outlets and electrical distribution on the market today, making them the most flexible for installation. The simplicity of this design ensures they can be installed rapidly, typically in less than one day for a narrow body, and two days for a wide body.

The Armstrong Aerospace BirdStriker™ is the bird deflector device that is available TODAY to meet your bird strike certification needs.
BirdStriker™ ensures operators can benefit by:
• Finding Compliance with 14 CFR 25.571e1
• Improving aerodynamic efficiency of existing radomes by up to 30%
• Maintaining RF integrity of existing radomes
• Avoiding expensive and heavy installations due to the BirdStriker™ lightweight, composite material design
• Installations can be performed in less than 10 hours
Furthermore, Armstrong Aerospace was actively involved in the recent ARC recommendations to the FAA. (Note: Armstrong Aerospace will be walking the 2014 AIX floor.)
Contact: Kevin Weppner
Email: kevin.weppner@armstrongaerospace.com
Mobile: +1.630.280.9295

Astronics Corporation
Booth #: 6B30
Astronics Corporation (NASDAQ: ATRO) is a leader in advanced high-performance lighting, electrical power, specialized avionics products and automated test systems for the global aerospace and defense industries. Astronics Corporation, and its wholly-owned subsidiaries, AeroSat*, Astronics Advanced Electronics Systems Corp.*, Ballard Technology, Inc., DME Corporation*, Luminescent Systems Inc.*, Max-Viz, Inc., PECO*, and PGA Electronic*, have a reputation for high-quality designs, exceptional responsiveness, strong brand recognition and best-in-class manufacturing practices. For company news and other important information, visit the website at www.astronics.com. (* – Exhibiting at AIX)
Contact: Dennis Markert
Email: dennis.markert@astronics.com
Mobile: +1.425.442.8195

digEcor
Booth #: 6B11
digEcor provides a low-cost, end-to-end cabin technology and inflight entertainment solution by specializing in personal media and AVOD platforms, mobile cabin crew applications, and being a global content service provider. We’ll be showcasing the GLIDE IFE embedded system, the next generation of digEplayer, Engage mobile cabin crew and passenger experience solution, as well as in seat power and the latest content services. Our focus is on increasing traveler satisfaction while creating easily executed customized solutions and generating ancillary revenue for clients. We are enabling airlines to create extraordinary travel experiences.
Contact: Ben Fuller
Email: Ben.Fuller@digecor.com
Phone: +1-801-691-7225

IFPL
Booth #: 6C10
IFPL will be showcasing their latest designs at AIX 2014 and will be demonstrating how you can BREAK FREE, CHARGE, PAY UP and GO!

IFPL is an established design and manufacturing company well known for its industry standard IFEC products. Their success is built on meeting passenger needs for multi-media connectivity and reliable access to the in-flight entertainment.

BREAK FREE! IFPL’s Breakaway Jack solves the problem of broken headphone plugs. Leading on from the Single Pin Jack, the Breakaway Triple Jack (1272) is an exciting new concept for use with powered noise cancelling headsets. The use of the 1272 Triple Jack requires no physical modification to the seatback.

CHARGE! IFPL have listened to their customers and are pleased to present a Stand-Alone USB outlet that will provide 2A output.

PAY-UP! IFPL’s Contactless Retail System uses NFC technology to allow passengers to pay using their contactless card. This payment system has shown an increase of up to 15% of sales in the vending market.

GO! IFPL’s Self-Testing jack enables quick and easy visual system audio check, verified with just a glance.
Contact: Neil Thomas | Business Development Manager
Email: neil.thomas@ifpl.com
Mobile: +44 (0) 778 698 7454
Contact: Mark Reed | Business Development Engineer
Email: mark.reed@ifpl.com

Inmarsat
Booth #: 6E31
Inmarsat will talk about the developments in its global satellite services, in particular with GX Aviation developments.
Contact: Paula Ferrai
Email: Paula.Ferrai@inmarsat.com
Mobile: +41 79 874 06 08

KID-Systeme
Booth #: B6C40
KID-Systeme will be exhibiting at this year’s Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg, from 8-10 April 2014, to demonstrate its two ground-breaking cabin systems: SKYpower, the internationally trusted seatpower system, and SKYfi, a revolutionary modular onboard connectivity platform. With a new design and an innovative product development, KID is looking forward to welcoming their customers on their booth in hall B6.
Contanct: Maren Müente
Email: maren.muente@kid-systeme.de
Mobile: +49 171 5660630

Lufthansa Systems
Booth #: Hall B6 6B47
Lufthansa Systems will be showcasing additional new products for its award-winning infotainment platform BoardConnect, presenting the solution as a fully-featured integration platform for the first time. Visitors to the company’s booth will be able to experience the user-friendly, versatile and innovative IFE solution using their own tablets, smartphones and laptops – as they would do on board. The appropriate apps for Android, iOS and Windows 8 are available for downloading from the app stores.

New features like chat, an online shop and a moving map with points of interest (POI) on different topics will add even more variety to the passenger’s in-flight experience. Passengers can find out about events taking place at their destination, obtain a restaurant recommendation, and even make a reservation online (via satellite, for instance). The BoardConnect platform’s content caching service maintains popular sites on the server, which not only speeds up access to these pages but also saves the airline expensive satellite bandwidth.

The new, easy-to-use, fast and automated Cabin Data Loader takes care of monthly content updates to the on-board servers and the latest LTE technology ensures speedy daily updates of dynamic content such as news and newspapers at speeds of up to 100 Mbps.
Other new hardware components to be shown by Lufthansa Systems will include the on-board Wireless Access Point developed by Lufthansa Technik, which supports 802.11 ac (the fastest current Wi-Fi standard) as well as delivering high-definition video throughout the cabin.
Contact: Sandra Hammer
Email: publicrelations@lhsystems.com

Lumexis
Booth #: 6E40
LUMEXIS FTTS IFE Systems – Best By Every Measure – Lightest Weight | Greatest Capacity | Highest Reliability. We invite you to visit Stand 6E40 during the 2014 AIX and allow us to demonstrate why FTTS has become the benchmark for the entire IFE industry. Please do not hesitate to contact me to make an appointment or to request further information. Looking forward to seeing you in Hamburg.
Contact: Jon Norris (VP Sales)
Email: jnorris@lumexis.com
Mobile: +1 949 436 1434

OnAir
Booth #:6D38
OnAir will be discussing its latest deals with airlines, as well as looking to the future of inflight connectivity, as it begins to include cabin crew, cockpit and airline operational applications.
Contact: Aurélie Branchereau-Giles
Email: aurelie.branchereau@onair.aero
Mobile: +44 78 676 15 46

Panasonic Avionics Corporation
Booth #: 6C36
At Aircraft Interiors in Hamburg, Panasonic will be showcasing the breadth of its IFE offering on its stand, demonstrating embedded and wireless IFE systems, and its award-winning Global Communications Services inflight connectivity offering.
Panasonic will be making a number of announcements at Aircraft Interiors, with several relating to the breadth and depth of its uniquely global satellite network.
Contact: Brian Bardwell
Email: Brian.Bardwell@panasonic.aero
Mobile: +1 949 573 6833

Stellar Group
Hall B6.1
With 40 years of experience as a Content Service Provider (CSP) Stellar’s focus is to work with Airilnes to understand the myriad of options in IFE, especially in regards to Tablets, streaming and connectivity. Afterall, Stellar Group was the first CSP to secure content onto iPads, as well as, the first CSP to secure content via wireless streaming.
Contact: Joel Joslin
Email: joel.joslin@stellargroup.com
Mobile: +61 414 944 302

Telefonix, Inc.
Booth #: 6C43
During AIX 2014 Telefonix will showcase products in 3 primary categories: 1)Passenger experience products, such as Passenger Control Units, Entertainment and Connectivity Hardware, which includes media loading devices, aircraft servers, etc. 2) Their CWAP design 3) And finally, in conjunction with their partner company Product Development Technologies (PDT), custom product design services.
Contact: Allison Burke
Email: aburke@telefonixinc.com

VT Miltope
Booth #: 6.1B17
Miltope’s family of network products offer the required functionality necessary to create custom airborne networks similar to how office networks are created. Our products optimize the combination of interfaces and computing resources to meet operational, spatial, and functional requirements of simple to complex airborne systems at minimum cost. Products include servers, Ethernet switches, wireless access points, TWLU aircraft to ground wireless link, control panels, and data storage devices. This year we will be featuring our latest wireless products, nMAP2 (wireless access point) and cTWLU (cellular ground link).
Contact: Markus Gilges | Director, Business Development
Email: mgilges@miltope.com
Mobile: +44 7793 758 755

Zodiac Inflight Innovations
Booth #: 6B20
Zodiac Inflight Innovations (formerly The IMS Company and TriaGnoSys) has been providing innovative solutions for the aviation industry for decades. Our business strategy can best be described as RAVE (Reliable, Affordable, and Very Easy). Already famous for our reliable passenger-centric embedded AVOD system (RAVE), we have recently expanded our product line to include connectivity features. Zii offers RAVE Wireless, a streaming IFE solution that lets passengers enjoy entertainment streamed directly to their personal devices. RAVE Cellular allows passengers to use voice, SMS and data services on their phones, which are billed directly to the passenger’s own mobile carrier. With RAVE Broadband, passengers can stay connected in the sky with unprecedented Ka-Band connection speeds. With this full line of IFEC product offerings, Zii uses a modular concept allowing customers to pick and choose which of these features are most important to them and their passengers. RAVE has had much success in the retrofit market and is currently making great progress toward line fit offerability at both Airbus and Boeing.
Contact: Harry Gray
Email: hgray@imsco-us.com
Mobile: +1 714 854 8633

Geneva, Switzerland | February 26, 2014–

OnAir’s Wi-Fi connectivity is set to revolutionise ANA’s onboard experience by giving passengers access to a free, constantly refreshed infotainment portal. The portal contains both English and Japanese content, from a range of categories including news, business, arts and culture, technology, and sports. The content is constantly updated via satellite connectivity.

Alongside the infotainment portal, passengers using Internet OnAir will be able to use their smartphone, tablets and laptops to stay in touch with the world 35,000 feet below. They can send emails, update their Facebook page, tweet, and surf the internet and more, just as they would use a hotspot on the ground. ANA is set to launch its OnAir Wi-Fi service on selected international flights.

ANA is a prominent world carrier and is our first customer in Japan. It was voted Airline of the Year for 2013 by Air Transport World. In 2012, it carried 45 million passengers, making it the largest airline in Japan by passenger numbers. ANA flies to 31 international and 50 domestic cities, with a fleet of 232 aircraft serving a network of 175 routes.

ANA has opted for OnAir because it is the only provider offering consistent global coverage. OnAir has a unique network of regulatory authorizations from over 100 countries and more than 350 roaming agreements with mobile network operators. These are complimented by Inmarsat SwiftBroadband, the only satellite network specifically designed to provide consistent global coverage. OnAir’s cost-effective, scalable solutions are ready for future technologies such as GX.

Internet OnAir is being retrofitted to ANA B767-300 and B777-300 aircraft. The service will be provided in partnership with JSAT MOBILE Communications Inc., a joint venture of SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation and Inmarsat Solutions.  It will be introduced on selected flights between Japan and Asia, before being added onto other European and North American routes.

“We are very excited to be expanding our Asia business,” said Ian Dawkins, OnAir CEO. “Passengers now expect to fly in a connected aircraft, and ANA has recognised and acted on this. New services like those which enable passengers to access on demand content and live streaming mean that it is a very exciting time to be introducing connectivity onto your aircraft.”

The ANA announcement also marks the first time a B767-300 has been retrofitted with OnAir services. This means that OnAir’s services are now available on all types of aircraft flown by the world’s major airlines.

Laptop interface: how the portal looks when accessed on a laptop

 

Smartphone interface: the mobile specific version of the portal

– ends –

• OnAir only provider with authorization from Thai authorities

Geneva | February 17, 2014– Thai Airways International (THAI) is launching THAI Sky Connect, which adds inflight connectivity to passenger inflight experience on the airline’s Airbus A330-300 and Airbus A380-800 aircraft. The connectivity is provided by OnAir.

From mid-February, passengers flying on THAI’s A380s and dedicated A330 flights will be able to log on to the on-board Wi-Fi product, Internet OnAir. It works exactly as a Wi-Fi hotspot on the ground. It is simply a case of entering credit card details, then surfing the Internet, checking emails and updating social media. It is expected that OnAir’s inflight GSM product, Mobile OnAir, will also be available on THAI flights, once the regulatory framework has been determined.

The launch of THAI Sky Connect is possible thanks to THAI being the first airline approved by the National Broadcasting Telecommunications Commission to provide inflight connectivity in Thailand’s airspace. OnAir is the only provider authorized to deliver inflight Wi-Fi services to airlines in Thailand.

“THAI is pleased to be launching THAI Sky Connect, an inflight WiFi product and service that adds to passenger inflight comfort and convenience on flights operated with Airbus A330-300 and Airbus A380-800 aircraft in all classes of service,” said Mr. Chokchai Panyayong, THAI Senior Executive Vice President, Commercial Department, and Acting President.  “THAI Sky Connect is offered to THAI passengers on A330-300 and A380-800 aircraft at package rates for laptop/iPad and smartphone usage, with OnAir as the Wi-Fi service provider. This is a positive step forward to bring internet connectivity and modern technology directly to passengers’ fingertips. THAI is pleased to introduce Wi-Fi service on board its flights, which will further improve passengers’ inflight entertainment experience and make travel with THAI even more enjoyable.”

THAI is one of three airlines currently operating OnAir connectivity on the A380; all three also use Inmarsat’s SwiftBroadband satellite network. Internet OnAir and Mobile OnAir are the only connectivity products currently flying on more than 50 A380s every day.

OnAir has regulatory authorizations from over 100 countries, more than any other inflight connectivity service provider. Combined with its roaming agreements with over 350 mobile network operators, OnAir provides consistent coverage on all the major routes across the world.

“OnAir has a very strong track record in obtaining regulatory approvals – it is one of the key areas in which we stand apart from other providers,” said Ian Dawkins, CEO of OnAir. “We are firmly committed to delivering consistent coverage so passengers can be connected with their family, friends and colleagues throughout the flight, wherever they are in the world.”

THAI is the 20^th airline to operate OnAir connectivity and the seventh in Asia. Internet OnAir and Mobile OnAir are widely available across the world and are used by over four and a half million passengers each year.

Aircraft Interiors Middle East, Dubai | February 6, 2014– OnAir has been named Best Connectivity Provider at the inaugural Inflight IFEC Awards, announced yesterday at Aircraft Interiors Middle East show.

OnAir stood out for a number of reasons. The first is that it has the most airline customers in the Middle East. In particular, Oman Air made aviation history when it became the first airline to offer the combined Wi-Fi and GSM service over four years ago.

The judges were also very impressed with the consistency of OnAir’s coverage. With over 350 roaming agreements, and authorizations from over 100 countries, OnAir has better coverage, both in the Middle East and indeed the world, than any other provider.

“What particularly impressed the judges about OnAir was a combination of its widespread coverage in the Middle East and its significant landmarks,” said Becky Howells, Commercial and Event Director of HMG Aerospace, the publisher of Inflight. “And being the first to equip the A380 with GSM – on Emirates’ fleet – shows that OnAir is constantly developing the market. With eight airline customers in the region, OnAir is clearly the front runner at this time.”

“OnAir has been at the forefront of the inflight connectivity sector since it began. In fact, we were one of the pioneers developing the initial concepts,” said Ian Dawkins, CEO of OnAir. “This is the first time there has been a specific connectivity award and I am thrilled OnAir has been recognised as the best provider. It is a real accolade to everyone at OnAir, our partners and of course to our airline customers.”

Twenty airlines around the world currently provide Internet OnAir, Mobile OnAir or the combined offer, including eight in the Middle East. A further seven airlines will offer OnAir connectivity by the end of the year.

Using OnAir connectivity, passengers have the choice to text, tweet, email, surf the Internet and talk during the flight. Mobile OnAir operates in exactly the same way as international roaming: simply turn on your phone and start using it. And Internet OnAir is a Wi-Fi hotspot, just like any other.

Geneva, Switzerland | February 5, 2014– The number of passengers using inflight connectivity on Oman Air’s OnAir-equipped Airbus A330s has increased dramatically in the past year, as has the volume of data exchanged. The airline has seven A330s fitted with both Mobile OnAir and Internet OnAir.

From 2012 to 2013, the number of Oman Air’s passengers logging on to the OnAir networks increased by 45%, and 85% more data was used.

Oman Air has worked on increasing usage by implementing a series of creative new marketing initiatives. These have included a promotion allowing passengers to use Frequent Flyer miles to purchase Wi-Fi codes, as well as offering free vouchers to First and Business class passengers in three or four different periods throughout the year. The airline has also included a promotional advertising campaign and a clip about Mobile OnAir before every film.

OnAir predicts that Oman Air will see a doubling of Wi-Fi usage in 2014, thanks to its innovative approach to marketing and providing passengers with value-added services around connectivity. The usage figures show that when passengers know about the service, there is a great demand for it. It also shows that OnAir connectivity can meet both customer expectations and increasing demand.

“Having been the first airline in the world to offer both services, Oman Air has now been providing Mobile OnAir and Internet OnAir for over four years. We also have plans for adding the services to more aircraft, as our fleet grows over the next few years,” said Andrew Walsh, Chief Officer Service Delivery at Oman Air. “Our customers have warmly welcomed the services and, thanks to our creative and proactive approach to marketing onboard connectivity, we have seen a big growth in passenger usage in 2013. We actively encourage passengers to use Mobile OnAir and Internet OnAir and we are confident that both will continue to meet service expectations.”

Oman Air has opted for OnAir because it is the only provider offering consistent global coverage. OnAir has a unique network of regulatory authorizations from over 100 countries and more than 350 roaming agreements with mobile network operators. These are complemented by Inmarsat SwiftBroadband, the only satellite network specifically designed to provide worldwide coverage.

“We are always excited to see passengers making the most of the services we provide. It’s clear that Oman Air, having pioneered full onboard connectivity, has used several appealing marketing initiatives to encourage users to connect to the inflight GSM and Wi-Fi,” said Ian Dawkins, OnAir CEO. “The usage numbers show passengers are using the service again and again, so they must recognise that it more than lives up to its reputation. Passengers now expect to fly in a connected aircraft, making inflight connectivity a must-have.”

• Indonesia’s Flag Carrier introduces OnAir inflight connectivity

Geneva, Switzerland | January 24, 2014–As of today, passengers flying with Garuda Indonesia, which won World Best Economy Class at the Skytrax World Airline Awards last year, can use OnAir’s inflight Wi-Fi product, Internet OnAir, throughout the flight. They can visit their favourite websites, work on email, and keep up to date on social media. The Wi-Fi service is provided through arrangements made with OnAir’s chosen strategic partner, PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia Tbk (Telkom Indonesia), state owned enterprise company in Indonesia with business portfolio TIMES (Telecommunication, Information, Media, Edutainment & Services).

Indonesia’s national airline flies to 33 domestic and 18 international destinations across Asia, Australia, and Europe, and carried more than 20 million passengers in 2012. OnAir’s services have been installed on Garuda’s existing A330 aircraft and will also be installed on its A330s currently on order.  OnAir anticipates adding Mobile OnAir, its GSM service, upon the establishment of an appropriate framework by Indonesian regulatory authorities.

“We are happy to introduce the high quality of our cabin services, and particularly our inflight entertainment,” said Faik Fahmi, Director of Service of Garuda Indonesia. “We focus very strongly on providing a very high quality service through “Garuda Indonesia Experience” which deeply rooted in the rich traditions of our national culture. There is no question that the very best modern flying experience must include inflight connectivity and that the connectivity, like all our services, needs to be the same high level wherever we fly: that is a key reason why we chose OnAir. We are very pleased to be leading the way by being one of the first airlines in the region to provide these services.”

OnAir is the world’s leading provider of inflight connectivity. It is the only company able to offer consistent global coverage because it has a unique network of regulatory authorizations from over 100 countries, including the only licence to operate in Australian airspace, and more than 350 roaming agreements with mobile network operators. Also, OnAir uses Inmarsat’s SwiftBroadband network, the only satellite technology designed for global mobility.

“Garuda Indonesia is a very ambitious airline seeking to stay at the front of the pack by being an early adopter of inflight connectivity,” said Ian Dawkins, OnAir CEO.

“We have now reached the point whereby inflight connectivity is a must-have service across the world. In 2014, we expect to see acceleration in interest from airlines, the number of contracts we sign and, most importantly, deployment like today’s service launch with Garuda Indonesia.”

OnAir is the only provider operating the joint Wi-Fi and mobile phone service. It is flying with a wide range of airlines in Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe and South America. In total, 20 airlines operate OnAir connectivity, more than any other inflight connectivity provider.

Over the holidays, IFExpress heard about the promotion of Lou Sharkey to President of Lumexis Corporation and the news release noted: “Lumexis Corporation today announced the promotion of the company’s Chief Operating Officer, Lou Sharkey, to the additional role of President, continuing to report to Doug Cline, Chief Executive Officer. Chairman of the Lumexis Board of Directors, Ed Shapiro, explained that, “Lou has more than twenty years of operations and engineering management experience, including a key managerial role with Doug at Sony Trans Com. He has maintained that close collaboration with Doug at Lumexis and has been a central figure in the growth and success of the company.” While this statement covers it pretty well, we wanted to hear from Lou so we called him and his first comment was really typical of him: “I want to make it clear that this interview, while about my promotion, is really an affirmation of our (the whole Lumexis team’s) focus on our products and our customers. I am particularly pleased to have the opportunity to continue to relay the message that Lumexis’ remains dedicated to bringing the best, World-class products to the aviation industry.” Obviously, their other goal is to continue to grow the business. In fact, their first 44 installations of the fiber optic IFE system for flydubai are on-going and IFExpress went to ATS in Everett, WA to see the 3 day process for ourselves. Boeing delivers the aircraft after the first check flight and the B737’s are pulled into a hangar where the Lumexis installation turns around an empty aircraft to a passenger friendly solution for the airline… ready for service.

With regard to “line-fit” approval at Boeing and Airbus, we should note that Mr. Sharkey told us that Lumexis is working closely with Boeing under a Technical Services Agreement to be offerable on the B737 with first delivery target around the middle of next year. From what we can tell, they are on track to do so. “Additionally,” he noted, “we are similarly pursuing Airbus for line fit on its single- and twin-aisle models because our customers have asked for delivery of their new planes with Lumexis systems installed by the factory and we really dislike having to say ‘not yet!’ ”

A little background might be in order here. First off, Lumexis is the “Little Engine That Could”! Aside from the literary reference, Lumexis has a secret sauce – a small cadre of highly experienced dedicated individuals (around 50), plus partnerships and relationships with developers and vendors who are considered part of the team from kickoff to delivery. And, yes, it works. By controlling costs, building teamwork, outsourcing almost everything, they avoid the “overhead blues” of other suppliers. IFExpress asked about how these relationships are set up and Lou told us, “We have a handful of first tier partners and less that 10 in the second tier – a manageable group, for sure, but this way we can offload hardware manufacturing and testing so that we can focus on software development and system integration internally. Also we have integration partners that we manage during airplane installations. The key here is to get it right the first time and do a first class job of design, documentation and communication. In one sense, our partners are quite a bit like us but they are in a different building and have a different corporate name. The key is good teamwork and our people excel at it. We are not in the business of building infrastructure, just great products! From a personal perspective,” noted Mr. Sharkey, “I am a ‘business guy’, thru and thru, having previously worked in the industry for Sony and Rockwell Collins for some 15 years and spent quite a bit of time in other diverse organizations and industries. I would have to say that I have had the most experience – and certainly the most fun – in IFE. The business model that Doug Cline set up is a new industry paradigm and I have been fortunate to work for him for nearly fifteen years.”

The horizon looks bright for the only Fiber-To-The-Screen ® system out there and Lumexis can claim deals with flydubai, Transaero, and Turkish. Further, we understand on the rumor hotline that there is one highly significant, unannounced customer in the wings but we don’t have a name yet. Fiber optic connectivity to the seat is here to stay.

Lastly, we have in two releases in from OnAir – “Saudia’s free inflight Wi-Fi promotion” and “FCC launches public consultation into rule change on inflight cell phone usage” – click on the links for the story.

• Airline celebrates 1,000,000^th Facebook followers and five new connectivity-equipped B777-300ERs

Geneva, Switzerland | January 20, 2014–

 Saudia is celebrating its one millionth Facebook follower by giving passengers free inflight Wi-Fi sessions. For January, passengers flying on Saudia’s OnAir-equipped Airbus A330s and Boeing 777s will be able to use the Internet for free during their flight.

To receive the promotional code said Mr. Hazem Sonbol GM E-commerce of Saudia, passengers simply need to enter their flight details into Saudia’s Facebook app to make sure the aircraft has Internet OnAir. Saudia will then send the code by email. Once on board, the passenger uses the code to log on to the Wi-Fi hotspot (called Saudia OnAir) to access the Internet, check emails, read the news and update social media.

“Saudia has been providing OnAir inflight connectivity for over three years with more than 16 aircraft equipped with connectivity solutions and future plans for expansion and adding more aircrafts into the service. And it is proving very popular with our passengers,” said Mr. Tarik Sindi VP Marketing and Product management of Saudia. “This Facebook campaign has been running for only a few days and has already been liked by over 8,000 people. Comments such as ‘I love this too much’, ‘Awesome’ and ‘Wow’ sum up just how much people welcome connectivity.”

“This is the first time an airline has given away free Internet OnAir sessions using Facebook,” said Ian Dawkins, CEO of OnAir. “Campaigns like this are doable because OnAir connectivity is available on all commercial aircraft types and across entire fleets. It shows that inflight connectivity has become a mainstream part of the passenger experience.”

The free inflight Wi-Fi promotion will run until the end of January 2014 and will be available in different destinations.

Saudia’s Facebook promotion

 

Geneva, Switzerland | January 16, 2014– The Federal Communications Commission has formally published the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) regarding its proposal to lift the ban on cellphone usage in flight. The NPRM allows 30 days for public comment, through February 14, 2014.

“This rule change would give airlines the option to decide if they want to introduced inflight cell phone services in the US”, said Ian Dawkins, CEO of OnAir. “Airlines across the world already allow passengers to use their phones to tweet, text, email and talk. Over four and a half million people take up the option every year and there have been no reported complaints about disruption.”

Background information

Mobile OnAir, OnAir’s inflight GSM service, started flying in 2007. It is is currently flying with 18 airlines, including world-leading global airlines such as Aeroflot, British Airways, Emirates, All Nippon Airways, Qatar Airways, TAM and Singapore Airlines.

People typically use Mobile OnAir for email, social media and text messages. Voice calls make up about 10% of all usage and the average call length is under two minutes. The cabin crew and/or the pilot can turn off the voice element, or the entire system, at the push of a button.

Editor’s Note: We usually put these notices at the end of our Hot Topic but this week we wanted to let our readers know that while our “Readers Predictions” are in the forefront we have a really interesting paper from Dr. Junkang Ma of CETCA fame. Dr. Ma put together an interesting piece on the inflight connectivity market in China… with an even more interesting solution to the problem of airline-ground interoperability  – think SIP! Be sure to check it out.

The IFExpress team usually solicits yearly IFE predictions from our readership for our first issues and 2014 is no different. As you can imagine, they vary from the sublime to the incredibly interesting. You be the judge. Lets look at what some of our advertisers said first:

• The FAA’s and the EASA’s decision on gate to gate operation of PEDs in flight mode will further accelerate the trend towards wireless inflight entertainment. More than 50% of all European legacy airlines will adopt the new guidance in 2014.  Norbert Muller, LHSystems
• “There will be a big shift away from brand name portables to portables specifically designed for inflight use.” Attribute prediction to Josh Rasmussen, digEcor.
• “Airlines across the world will continue to increase the provision of both Wi-Fi and cell phone connectivity: the technology is reliable, affordable and very easy to install and operate. The US will remain the exception, until the debate about voice services is resolved.” Axel Jahn, TriaGnoSys

Readers also sent in their predictions and we really like the following:

• “With increased gate-to-gate PED use, the demand for seat power will increase tremendously on regional aircraft.” – Mr. Mark Milauskas, Armstrong Aerospace Inc.
• “The inflight use of cell phones in US won’t cause any more problems than it has in the rest of the world. And there have been no problems in six years, over five continents”, Ian Dawkins, OnAir
• “ The demand for streaming IFE over Wi-Fi will see the highest increase in customer demand and force the movie studios to implement an encryption process to allow for early window viewing.” – Mr. Todd Hamblin, Global Aerospace Design Corp.
• “By the end of 2014, a bird strike compliance path will be forged and system providers will begin installing IFE satellite antennas again.” – Mr. Mark Milauskas, Armstrong Aerospace Inc.
• “US airlines will not allow inflight mobile calling because of the feedback from their frequent fliers and flight attendant unions.” – Mr. Todd Hamblin, Global Aerospace Design Corp.
• “4k Ultra High Definition (4k UHD) Networked monitors designed specifically for Business and Commercial aircraft use will be in service by midyear 2014.” Bill Baltra, Retired
• “By the end of 2014, the US government (FCC) will lift the ban on the use of cellular technology while in-flight.” –Joe Kupfer, Armstrong Aerospace

Lastly, as can be seen from the above, inflight cell phone connectivity has a lot of interest, and a lot of different opinions so we asked John Courtright to opine on the subject and he sent us the following:

Here is my prediction and a follow up clarification to the question,

• In the US, at least one airline will “test” the applicability of inflight cellphone calling.

Prediction:  Yes, I expect a small number of U.S. airlines to permit inflight cell phone calling.  Furthermore, I expect the first airlines to allow inflight cell phone calls on short-haul flight, flights of two hours or less.  The first to test the cell usage issue will either be a.) an independent Regional Operators, such as Mesa, Republic, and Nantucket, or b.) Regionals affiliated with a Major Carrier, such as American Eagle or Jet Blue.

The first set of carriers found in a.) above will figure that their flight operations are short haul and the “obnoxious factor” is mitigated by the short duration of the flights as well as being affected by the higher ambient noise on RJs.  The second set of carriers, those associated with a Major Airline( (b.) above), will see a competitive advantage in and out of the Major’s hubs as well as being a guinea pig for the major carrier to assess passenger acceptance.

Longer range prediction:  Carriers will NOT create a cell-phone usage section, like the old smoking section.  Too much policing by the flight attendants.  Carriers will initially allow cell phone usage on short-haul, high density routes.  Think SFO-LAX or LGA – DCA where the clientele is largely business based.  I see cell phone usage to expand to a flight duration-based judgment and  to have a cut-off point at two hours.

The above predictions, of course, are moot if the DeFazio Amendment is extended and thus inflight cell phone calls are prohibited by statute.  But absent a specific law, I see the usage to be flight time based. (Editor’s Note: We called Senator DeFazio’s office and he has yet to get back to us on the status of his Bill.)

While predictions seem to have taken center stage in this IFExpress, we have been working with Dr. Junkang Ma, a brilliant Program Manager at the Chinese avionics manufacturer CETCA, and he has put together a very good vision of the developing Chinese inflight connectivity market for us. Here is a bit of the story: “In December 2013, the MIIT of China (Ministry of Industry and Information Technology) released the 4G frequency license to the three government-owned telecom operators (China Mobile, China Unicom, and China Telecom), establishing that the Telecom industry of China has officially entered into the 4G generation, beginning from TD-LTE, although 3G has only been used for around 4 years in China. While the ground-based Telecom industry is rapidly developing, one large area in China appears to be forgotten – the area in the air. The cabin of the civil aircraft has become the last “isolated island” of the information age, which makes the passengers on board feel like being back in the early years of the 20th century. The Chinese civil aviation market is experiencing accelerated growth and as more travelers are flying, passengers require a similar communication experience like they enjoy on the ground, which will result in an accelerated and diversified growth phase for China’s connectivity market…” You can read the whole story here .

And lastly, A large French IFEC company is looking for engineers in the Irvine area we have heard and if you are so inclined you might send your resume to them! Systems, Software, Platform, Project, Logistics, Field Service Engineers and even Financial Analysts… so we understand. Good Luck!