AirAsia to offer Inflight Mobile Phone Use

AirAsia is set to be the first airline in Asia to deploy OnAir mobile communications services. The service, to be deployed across the entire AirAsia fleet, will enable passengers to use their mobile phones and BlackBerry-type devices to send and receive SMS text messages, emails, and to make and receive mobile phone calls in flight. The OnAir services will be introduced by AirAsia in early 2009.

AirAsia’s entire fleet of Airbus A320 aircraft will be fitted with the OnAir equipment, including aircraft currently flying and those on order from Airbus; a total of 150 aircraft will be equipped by 2013.

AirAsia’s new venture AirAsia X, a long-haul low-cost airline, has also signed a similar agreement for OnAir’s passenger communications services, to be installed on the airline’s newly ordered Airbus A330 aircraft.

Dato’ Kamarudin Meranun, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, AirAsia, said, “We have worked very hard to strengthen our network and enhanced connectivity in the ASEAN region, and we are now working equally hard to improve the services we offer our guests. We firmly believe that offering them the ability to communicate during flight is vital in this era of information technology.”

Benoit Debains, CEO of OnAir, said, “This deal validates the benefit of OnAir’s service to low-cost carriers, in providing both enhanced service and an ancillary revenue stream. It also demonstrates that we are gaining a foothold in the Asian market, currently the most dynamic and exciting region for aviation. We are particularly pleased to be working with AirAsia, which is taking such a leading role in this region.”

--AsiaTravelTips.com 2007-06-25

bye bye airasia .............

here here, mid. i could think of nothing worse than mobile phones ringing and beeping all through the flight.

i dont really like air asia anyway, and this is another reason for me to not fly with them.

oh god Nooooooo please, bad enough when they all get switched on after landing and yacka yack yack at top volume.

This is NOT a good idea!

I agree 100%. It's very sad that people can't sit through a relatively short flight without needing to yack on their phones. I can imagine the problems this is going to cause on long haul flights when it spreads to the international carriers Pain in the backside to say the least. Fifty years from now they will finally decide it annoys people ... just like it's taken so long to realize that smoking annoys non-smokers.

The end of the privacy

mk

The end of the privacy

mk

can you imagine the noise ,hope this does'nt catch on with the other airlines

God help us all !!!!

The end of the privacy

mk

I wouldn't call a commercial airline "private" at all.

FK NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Sadly if one goes this route - rest of the airlines will follow!!!! Well Thai(s) use these low cost airlines more than anyone - shall be nonstop running he gob. (luckily flights are short - and one can make use of mp3 player w/volume up loud)

Edited June 25, 200719 yr by britmaveric

As an ex-Pilot,i hope they have the latest and are using the latest in Sat Nav systems for the airframe,if not,God help them.Not a good idea,by any standard.

Nok Air here i come.

AirAsia to offer Inflight Mobile Phone Use

--AsiaTravelTips.com 2007-06-25

This is a no-brainer, in every sense of the word!!!!!!!!!!!

Someone Pleeeeaaaaase.......stop this from being true.....NO PHONE IN PLANE.............Bye Bye Air Asia.........Same as Air France BTW.......Seems that they are not bad enough, they now have to add this disturbance.....They were crap, they are crap, and it won't be better any soon

why dont they just put in a couple of phone booths next to the lavatories?

this airliner is becoming more like a market. what's next?

why don't they install TV/projector on board instead?