OnAir working with mobile operators to cut inflight mobile rates

Geneva, Switzerland | April 2, 2012–Oi, Brazil’s leading mobile phone company, is working with OnAir and TAM Airlines to halve the cost of using OnAir’s inflight GSM mobile phone network. The promotion, starting on April 1st, is designed to make inflight connectivity more popular on domestic flights.

During this promotion, Oi Postpay customers travelling with TAM will pay 50% less for using their own mobile phones, smartphones and tablets for calls, texting, emailing and synchronizing applications during flights.

OnAir’s inflight GSM mobile phone service is available on TAM routes within Brazil. TAM has a critical mass of 31 aircraft equipped with inflight connectivity, meaning the service now reaches a significant passenger population and more aircraft will be equipped during 2012.

“Now that OnAir connectivity has been deployed across so much of TAM’s fleet, the time could not be better for Oi, TAM and OnAir to promote the innovative connectivity service intensively,” said Ian Dawkins, Chief Executive Officer OnAir. “Our ultimate aim is to ensure inflight connectivity is affordable for everyone by bringing the cost closer to terrestrial prices.”

“TAM leads the deployment of inflight connectivity in South America, providing convenience to our customers. We want to bring this onboard technology to more and more people, so we are working to expand the reach of the service by making it better for passengers”, said Manoela Amaro, Marketing Director of TAM.

“With truly global presence, we have a critical mass of passengers using our products,” said Dawkins, “and we are working with mobile network operators to bring down inflight costs. It is a win for everyone, the airline, the mobile operator, the passenger and us.”

“This is another Oi action to give our customers complete freedom to talk and access the Internet wherever they are, and now for much less. With the advent of smartphones and tablets, our customers want connectivity everywhere and we are always looking for ways to help them achieve that,” said Eduardo Aspesi, director of Segments of Oi.

OnAir inflight GSM mobile phone and Internet services are currently available on 16 airlines across the world.

London, 30 March 2010: TAM Airlines, the largest airline in South America, will become a full member of the Star Alliance on Thursday, 13 May 2010.

Star Alliance, is the world ‘s largest commercial airline alliance with a current membership of 26 airlines. Events to mark and celebrate TAM’s membership are being scheduled in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro and will bring together the main executives from TAM and its Star Alliance partners, as well as aviation and government authorities and VIP guests.

Once a full member of the Star Alliance, TAM will be able to share products and services at over one thousand destinations in the 175 countries currently served by the alliance. As from 13 May, members of the ‘TAM Fidelidade’ loyalty program, which currently has over 6.6 million members, will also be integrated with the Frequent Flyer Programs of the other 26 Star Alliance members.

TAM has already moved its London Heathrow operations from Terminal 4 to Terminal 1 as part of its full integration into the Star Alliance. The move, on Sunday, 28 March, facilitates connections with TAM’s new Star Alliance partners who operate from both Terminal 1 and 3. Star Alliance is the largest alliance operating out of the core Central Area at Heathrow.

São Paulo, 10 February 2010: TAM Linhas Aéreas, known internationally as TAM Airlines, (Bovespa: TAMM4; NYSE: TAM) and TAM Mercosur, the latter with headquarters in Asuncion, Paraguay, achieved their IOSA (IATA Operational Safety Audit) registration renewal, which is now valid until January 2012. IOSA is the civil aviation industry’s most comprehensive and accepted international certificate on operational safety.

The reassessment of IOSA registration has been granted to both airlines upon the completion of the audit carried out by ARGUS PROS, an independent organization accredited by IATA. The process involved several areas from both companies, which achieved around 940 requirements related to operational safety.

TAM has maintained IOSA registration since January 2007. The registration was validated by IATA in 2008 and again now, in January 2010. TAM Linhas Aéreas and TAM Mercosur’s registration renewal is published on IATA’s official website (www.iata.org/registry).

Launched by IATA in 2003, the IOSA program is a worldwide reference in operational safety management for airlines and it assesses their processes related to: management system, flight operations, operational dispatch, ramp operations, airports, maintenance, cargo, operational safety, and training for every area associated with the airline’s operations.

Major aeronautical authorities worldwide accept the IOSA. It is also accepted by international airline companies on codeshare agreements, dismissing overlays of same nature audits whenever a new partnership is entered into.

With IOSA registration renewal, TAM meets another requirement to join the Star Alliance, the largest global airline alliance, currently composed of 26 major airline companies worldwide. The process for integrating TAM into the Star Alliance is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2010.

TAM strictly follows the rules and standards established by the aeronautical authorities in Brazil, the United States and Europe, in addition to those agreed by international organizations such as the ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization). Moreover, TAM is affiliated to the most important civil aviation flight safety agencies worldwide such as the FSF (Flight Safety Foundation), the largest worldwide non-governmental organization.

The company takes an active part in IATA’s Americas Regional Flight Safety Committee (RCG), and is an effective member of the United Kingdom Flight Safety Committee (UKFSC), an association of entities and professionals dedicated to the improvement of commercial aviation flight safety within the United Kingdom.