BA allows text and emails

[January 26th 2009]

British Airways will allow passengers to communicate by text and email and surf the internet on its new flights from London City airport to New York JFK.

The twice daily all business class flights to the Big Apple are scheduled to launch in the autumn from London City airport and passengers on board will be able to stay connected using their mobile phone or BlackBerry-type devices to send and receive text messages and emails, and to access the internet.

Laptops fitted with GSM data cards will also be able to access the internet during flights. However, at this stage BA has decided to allow data only services, so mobile phone calls will not be possible.

BA chief executive, Willie Walsh, comments: “This is a great service for our customers whom we know want to do business in the air or simply stay in touch via email or text. It’s a perfect fit for our new business class only services from London City airport to JFK which we will launch later this year.”

The in-flight communications technology is being supplied by specialist company OnAir. Mobile OnAir uses the GSM/GPRS network, which is the world’s most widely used and extensive network for international mobile communications.

“We are delighted to be working with British Airways, one of the world’s flagship carriers, to provide the highest available standard of in-flight passenger connectivity and to introduce the service on this premium, route,” comments OnAir CEO, Benoit Debains.

“British Airways has long been regarded as an industry leader and innovator, and we look forward to helping them succeed in this new trans-Atlantic service,“ Debains adds.

Since December 2007, Mobile OnAir services have been used on flights to more than 54 cities in 25 countries in Europe and the Middle East, and will soon be in use in Asia and in Latin America.

Among the airlines using or planning to offer Mobile OnAir are bmi, Ryanair, Air Asia, Airblue, Jazeera Airways, Kingfisher, Oman Air, Royal Jordanian, Shenzhen Airlines, TAM, TAP and Wataniya Airways.

Written by: Nick Purdom

Save up to 60% and book your London City Airport parking at an unbeatable price with Holiday Extras