China Airlines latest to announce in-flight Internet

TAIPEI, Taiwan -- For in-flight, real-time Internet access, 2003 was a breakthrough year with many major airlines either launching or announcing plans for this new service for passengers. The new year starts off with China Airlines announcing intentions bring high-speed Internet connectivity to travelers on China Airlines commercial flights in and out of Taiwan.

A letter of intent between the two companies calls for the broadband data and entertainment service to be installed on the China Airlines fleet of aircraft, starting with long-haul aircraft, beginning in late 2004. China Airlines will be the first in Taiwan to introduce this cutting-edge system.

"History will record 2004 as the year when air travelers for the first time could choose to be connected while in flight to family, colleagues and friends," said Scott Carson, president, Connexion by Boeing. "With the ability of modern jetliners to directly link cities that can be 16 hours or more apart, keeping in touch becomes increasingly important for productivity as well as for the traveler's ability to maintain a healthy balance between work commitments and obligations to family, friends and community." 

Connexion by Boeing is a mobile information services provider that brings broadband Internet, data and entertainment connectivity to mobile travelers. In addition to China Airlines, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) and Japan Airlines have signed on as customers for the fastest available in-flight Internet, data and entertainment service. Singapore Airlines and All Nippon Airways also have announced their intent to install the Connexion by Boeing service on their long-haul fleets. 

By installing antenna on aircraft, Connexion systems offer high-speed Internet connections to in-flight users via satellite and ground operation center. In the future, China Airlines passengers using laptop computers with wireless network cards in either First, Dynasty or Economy class can enjoy high speed access to Internet by paying access fee in an office-like environment. 

"As Internet technology improves, people depend on it more and more in everyday life," said Brian Chou, Senior Vice President of China Airlines. "China Airlines is proud to be the first airline in Taiwan to introduce in-flight mobile connectivity to better serve the needs of its passengers."

Initially, the agreement with Connexion will cover the China Airlines long-haul planes such as B747-400 and A340-300 aircraft. Plans call for the service to be extended the service to other aircraft at a later date. The agreement outlines connectivity on certain long-haul flights between Taipei and Europe, and Taipei and North America.

"China Airlines is a clear leader in enhanced passenger service in a market that continues to openly embrace and implement new technologies," said Boeing's Carson. "We couldn't think of a better way to celebrate the new year going forward than to proudly announce China Airlines as our newest customer for in-flight mobile connectivity."

A first glimpse of the new world of in-flight high-speed connectivity was made available in early 2003 to passengers of Lufthansa German Airlines and British Airways. The three-month service demonstrations, involving daily round-trip flights between Frankfurt and Washington, D.C., then London and New York, generated a series of historic firsts, including:

• The first in-flight, high-speed Virtual Private Network-secured corporate intranet access by passengers on commercial airline flights.




• The first regulatory authorizations to operate wireless devices aboard commercial airliners in flight.




• The first in-flight wireless Internet access by commercial airline passengers.




• The first two-way video-teleconference between the air and the ground during a commercial airline flight.




• The first two-way, real-time e-mail exchange in flight between two airline passengers flying on different
  airplanes.




• The first creation and publication of a web page on the Internet during a commercial airline flight, including written and photographic content.

Among other achievements in 2003, a major milestone was reached in July at Geneva, Switzerland, when the World Radiocommunication Conference approved the use of a range of radio frequencies for satellite-based communications for aeronautical purposes. The allocation cleared the way for regulatory authorities within each country's airspace worldwide to authorize certain in-flight connectivity services such as Connexion by Boeing. Agreements also were reached with satellite service providers, including Eutelsat, Intelsat and Space Communications Corporation.

Boeing plans to begin commercial airline service will begin in spring 2004 with Lufthansa. The service also is available to operators of both private and government executive jets, directly through Connexion by Boeing or through a partnership with Rockwell Collins.