In-flight Communications

In-flight passenger communications provided by OnAir

Mobile phones, BlackBerry-type devices and the Internet are integral parts of most people’s lives. People want the option to use them when flying.

To make this a reality, the aviation and telecommunications industries are working together to provide passengers with services they want and expect at an affordable price.

SITA In-flight Communications allow passengers to remain in touch in the air, while providing airlines a new ancillary revenue source and a service differentiator.

SITA know-how

OnAir, jointly owned by SITA and Airbus, is the only airline industry-sponsored company offering full voice and data connectivity services in-flight for customers in Asia, Australia, Europe, the Middle East and South America.

OnAir provides a complete inflight passenger communications service, including:

  • Robust hardware, designed and certified for the aircraft environment
  • Equipment installation on all types of Airbus and Boeing aircraft – both linefit and retrofit
  • Revenue management
  • Management of the interface between the airline, telecoms providers and the satellite provider
  • Quality of Service monitoring and support

Benefits

In-flight Communications enable airlines to give passengers what they want - the ability to communicate in the air in exactly the same way as they can on the ground.

That means providing:

  • The choice of staying in touch by phone, e-mail or text message
  • Access to Webmail and Webchat
  • Live broadband Internet access

Airlines can benefit in two ways:

  • OnAir’s passenger communications service is a source of ancillary revenue
  • Passenger communications can be used as a service differentiator as part of the In-flight entertainment (IFE) mix

Features

In-flight Communications include the following features.

  • Fully compliant with both air-worthiness and telecommunications regulations
  • Global System Mobile (GSM) for voice calls and text messages
  • General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) for Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) based e-mail
  • Wireless or wired local area network (LAN) for broadband Internet connectivity
  • Full operational control - the crew can turn the system off at any time, or the voice element can be disabled

Customer quote

"The modern traveller is increasingly reliant on mobile devices and the internet, not only to plan travel, but also to stay in touch throughout their journey."

Peter Baumgartner
Chief Commercial Officer
Etihad Airways

 

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