Airbus A320 Family approved for On-Board Mobile Phone System

The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has granted Airbus certification for the OnAir mobile telephony system on-board its whole A320 Family. The approval granted by the agency covers all single-aisle types, the A318, A319, A320 and A321, and follows the first individual certification that was awarded in June 2007 for one individual A318.

With this approval, Airbus has made another significant step towards airline operation of the OnAir service that allows passengers to use their BlackBerry-type and mobile phones to send and receive emails and text messages, and to make and receive voice calls.

Airbus' OnAir service started with Air France in December 2007, and was subsequently introduced on an A319 from TAP Air Portugal. It will soon be available almost all over the world. OnAir, a joint venture between Airbus and SITA, is the service provider for a complete range of connectivity services. The onboard equipment is manufactured under Airbus KID-Systeme responsibility.

“After the successful operation with Air France and TAP, this achievement is the Airbus response to the growing market demand for on-board connectivity,” said Gerald Weber, Executive Vice-President Operations. “Continuous customer demand across Airbus programmes demonstrates that cabin connectivity solutions represent a real differentiator for passenger on-board services and a potential growth for services to airlines from Airbus.”

-- AsiaTravelTips.com 2008-07-16

With this approval, Airbus has made another significant step towards airline operation of the OnAir service that allows passengers to use their BlackBerry-type and mobile phones to .........make and receive voice calls.

The already miserable state of air travel is about to get even worse with passengers jabbering away on their mobile phones the entire duration.

Hopefully the rates will be sufficiently high that only first and business class travellers will be bugged by the incessent jabbering on phones.

Somehow I doubt it

I predict there will be a lot of 'air rage' when this becomes generally available. Its lucky passengers will have had any metal knives confiscated before they got on

Perhaps they will have mobile and no mobile phone sections!

Hopefully the rates will be sufficiently high that only first and business class travellers will be bugged by the incessent jabbering on phones.

Somehow I doubt it

When the first business-class people begging for a downgrade....

Bad Move

TBWG

Strick airlines rules state that they can only be used in the toilets.

The already miserable state of air travel is about to get even worse with passengers jabbering away on their mobile phones the entire duration.

Does it bother you when two nearby passengers are speaking to one another? I'm assuming it does not, so why would it bother you if just one person was speaking on a mobile phone? Honestly people seem to get totally irrational about non-issues.

After a quick review it looks like this will be a fee-based system as it utilizes satellite up-links. It may be popular for text messages, and especially Blackberry-type services. I suspect voice tariffs will discourage any casual use. Note that Connexion by Boeing tried and failed with on-board, in-flight internet services. There were just not enough customers willing to pay for the service.

Edited July 18, 200817 yr by lomatopo

The already miserable state of air travel is about to get even worse with passengers jabbering away on their mobile phones the entire duration.

Does it bother you when two nearby passengers are speaking to one another? I'm assuming it does not, so why would it bother you if just one person was speaking on a mobile phone? Honestly people seem to get totally irrational about non-issues.

Because many people tend to talk louder than necessary on their mobile , as if the other party would hear them better.