Emirates to equip 90 A380s with 
Wi-Fi, phone calls, web surfing

Emirates, which has taken delivery of 11 superjumbos, will make the paid-for service available in June 2012 under an agreement with Geneva-based OnAir NV. The technology will permit the use of devices including laptop computers, Apple Inc. iPhones and Research In Motion Ltd. BlackBerry smartphones.

The Gulf carrier’s order is the biggest contract yet for a combination of in-flight voice and data telephony and could lead to more orders from the 555-seat Airbus model, OnAir Chief Executive Officer Ian Dawkins said on Tuesday in an interview.

“We’re talking with everyone else who’s got an A380,” Dawkins said. “I think Emirates is key for us because it’ll help it become the standard for the A380 and also hopefully start moving into other long-haul fleets.”

Singapore Airlines Ltd., Air France-KLM Group, Deutsche Lufthansa AG and Qantas Airways Ltd. all operate A380s and carriers including Korean Air Lines Co. and China Southern Airlines Co. have ordered the double-decker plane.

OnAir’s 25 existing customers include British Airways Plc, which offers the complete package of voice and data on a single business-only route between London City airport and New York. Dawkins said about 20 per cent of passengers use the service and that a similar level should be achievable with Emirates.

OnAir and the Dubai-based airline will share revenue from the service. Airbus owns 30 per cent of OnAir, with the other 70 per cent owned by SITA, the world’s biggest provider of air transport-related applications and communications. —