Budget Airline Ryanair Introduces In Flight Mobile Access

Ryanair, which is currently Europe’s largest low fares airline, has announced a deal with OnAir that will see Ryanair’s entire fleet of Boeing 737 aircraft fitted with OnAir’s onboard mobile communications solution.

The company is the first European airline to offer Europe-wide mobile telephony services during flights across its entire fleet of aircraft to all passengers via their own mobile phones and smartphones.

The deal means that from mid 2007 (subject to relevant regulatory approval) Ryanair’s passengers will be able to call, text and e-mail using their mobile phones and smartphone devices at rates that the company says will mirror international roaming charges.

OnAir intend to fit 50 Ryanair aircraft during the second half of 2007, with the remainder of the fleet receiving installations from early 2008 onwards. Mobile OnAir will be offered on all Ryanair flights across Ryanair’s network of more than 360 routes serving 23 countries across Europe.

Mobile OnAir uses lightweight onboard technology to allow passengers to make and receive calls, exchange SMS messages and connect to e-mail via satellite broadband links and a ground network to be supplied by OnAir’s telecoms infrastructure partner, Monaco Telecom.

Ryanair will receive a commission from OnAir on call revenues generated by passengers on board its aircraft.