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Qatar Airways Extends OnAir Inflight Connectivity to Next Generation A350s and A380s


WEBWIRE

Aircraft Interiors, Hamburg – Qatar Airways’ A350 and A380 fleets will be line-fitted with both Mobile OnAir and Internet OnAir. This comes after Qatar Airways has been operating OnAir’s GSM on its A320s for over three years. In total, over 150 Qatar Airways’ aircraft will have OnAir connectivity, including its Boeing 787s.

Qatar Airways’ passengers have the choice of using either the GSM network or Wi-Fi. They can use their mobile phones and tablets for calls, texting, emailing, updating social media and surfing the Internet. It is very simple to use, with billing working in exactly the same way as international roaming. They can also access the Internet using any Wi-Fi enabled device.

“We have been operating Mobile OnAir for more than three years on some of our aircraft and it’s clear that our passengers want, and are coming to expect, inflight connectivity,” said Akbar Al Baker, Chief Executive Officer of Qatar Airways.

“We have seen high levels of usage of the OnAir services on flights to and from Europe, as well as on regional flights. The pattern emerging is that business travellers typically use mobile data, for example for email and reading the news. Leisure passengers are more likely to send text messages or update twitter and Facebook accounts.”

The award-winning airline currently has orders for 13 Airbus A380s, including options, with deliveries starting in 2014. The airline also has orders for 80 A350s.


“Qatar Airways’ extension of OnAir’s services shows just how happy the airline and its passengers are with our connectivity products,” said Ian Dawkins, CEO of OnAir. “Qatar Airways is the first of four airlines to date to have selected OnAir for its A350 fleet, and our fifth A380 customer. Clearly, OnAir’s products are perfect for every aircraft type, from the biggest long-haul aircraft to the much smaller single aisle planes operating on short routes.”

Qatar Airways can provide consistent connectivity on all its flights across the world because of OnAir’s unique coverage. It has regulatory approvals from over 90 countries, as well as roaming agreements with more than 350 mobile network operators. Also, OnAir uses Inmarsat’s SwiftBroadband network, the only one designed specifically to provide worldwide satellite coverage.

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About Qatar Airways

Qatar Airways is one of the world’s fastest growing airlines, currently flying a modern fleet of 122 aircraft to 125 key destinations across Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific and The Americas.

Over the next few weeks and months, Qatar Airways will launch scheduled flights to a diverse portfolio of new routes, including Chicago, USA (April 10); Salalah, Oman (May 22); Basra, Iraq (June 3); Sulaymaniyah, Iraq (August 20); and Chengdu, China (September 3), with many more start-ups to be announced.

Qatar Airways currently has orders worth over US$50 billion for more than 250 aircraft, including Boeing 787s, 777s, Airbus A350s, A380s and A320 Family of aircraft. In addition to winning Skytrax’s prestigious Airline of the Year 2011 and 2012, Qatar Airways was named Best Airline in the Middle East for the seventh year in a row, and its Premium Terminal at Doha International Airport was named Best Premium Service Airport for the second consecutive year in 2012. Skytrax is the only global independent passenger survey monitoring airline standards and is considered the ultimate benchmark for excellence in the airline industry. In October 2012, Qatar Airways became the first of the major Gulf carriers to officially announce plans to join a global alliance having been invited into the oneworld group. For more information, visit www.qatarairways.com



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