Air Canada Connected
Air Canada, the first Canadian carrier to offer customers in-flight Wi-Fi connectivity, plans to begin rolling out connectivity across its North American fleet next month under an agreement with Gogo, the airline announced in a release issued today from one of its Wi-Fi-equipped aircraft.
The agreement will also provide for future type-testing of Gogo satellite solutions for Wi-Fi on international flights.
“Air Canada continually seeks to enhance the travel experience and that is why we are pleased to be the first airline in Canada to offer in-flight Wi-Fi connectivity to customers flying over continental North America. In today’s connected world, our customers want to access e-mail, mobile device applications and the internet wherever they are, both to increase their work productivity and expand their leisure options. The introduction of Wi-Fi across our narrow-body North American fleet will be another welcome amenity for customers…” said Benjamin Smith, executive vice-president and chief commercial officer.
Air Canada presently has two Wi-Fi-equipped Airbus 319 aircraft operating in Canada and the US and, subject to a final agreement with Gogo, plans to begin outfitting its remaining Airbus A319, A320 and A321 and Embraer 190 fleet types, as well as its Air Canada Express CRJ-705 and Embraer 175 aircraft, with Air-To-Ground Wi-Fi connectivity.
The installations are to begin in May with the goal of equipping 29 aircraft in 2014 and a targeted completion date of December 2015 for the designated 130 narrow-body aircraft. The system offers peak connection speeds comparable to mobile broadband services available on the ground. Current regulations prohibit the use of cellular phones for voice communication. Pricing will be competitive with other in-flight Wi-Fi connectivity offerings.
