Aer Lingus announced it is to provide customers with high-speed Wi-Fi on it’s short-Haul Airbus A320 Family aircraft from mid next year aftering signing a letter of intent with LiveTV, a wholly owned subsidiary of jetBlue Airways to offer customers the fastest and most advanced airborne Internet access.
The letter of intent with LiveTV provides the framework for a definitive agreement to be negotiated with LiveTV and Aer Lingus becomes the European launch customer for the Ka-band product. The first aircraft to be fitted with the Internet capability is expected to launch mid-2013 and will provide services via the KA-SAT satellite operated by Eutelsat Communications that offers high-speed Internet access throughout Europe.
Aer Lingus Chief Commercial Officer Stephen Kavanagh said “We have been investigating ways to bring in-cabin connectivity to our customers for quite some time. We believe we have secured the best product in terms of speed, capacity and value for money. This initiative is in direct response to customer feedback, from business and leisure customers alike. Having direct access to in-cabin wi-fi is top of our customers’ wish-lists. We look forward to enhancing our customers’ experience and working for many years to come with LiveTV and Eutelsat.”
LiveTV President Glenn Latta said “The decision by Ireland’s national carrier to select LiveTV’s Ka-band system validates that airlines are ready to skip first-generation technologies and go straight to Ka-band, the most advanced services for true At Home in the Air broadband”.
Irish Aviation Research Institute © 14th December 2012 All Rights Reserved.
