The airline is expecting delivery of the aircraft in 2010, and is the first single-aisle operator in Africa to announce plans to offer passengers inflight connectivity services.
Libyan Airlines’ passengers will be able to stay connected inflight using their own mobile phones or BlackBerry-type devices to make and receive phone calls, send and receive text messages and emails, and access the internet.
Captain Mohamed M. Ibsem, member of the board of directors and CEO at Libyan Airlines, said: “Providing this service will help differentiate us from the competition and is part of our ongoing drive to constantly improve levels of service for our passengers. Aboard these brand new Libyan Airlines aircraft, our passengers will be able to stay in touch with colleagues, family and friends while they travel. We selected OnAir because it offers the best service, is the most technologically advanced system, and represents the best way forward to take advantage of ongoing technology development.”
Added Benoit Debains, CEO at OnAir: “Libyan Airlines is a pioneering operator and OnAir is proud to be working with the airline. Mobile OnAir provides air travellers with the very highest service levels when they use their mobile phones or BlackBerry-type devices, and with global coverage so that no matter where they are flying, they can stay in touch.”
Mobile OnAir uses the industry’s most advanced and extensive infrastructure for mobile communications, along with Inmarsat SwiftBroadband, high capacity services from Inmarsat fourth generation satellites. This gives Libyan Airlines’ passengers the best reach and performance available today.
Air passengers today can use Mobile OnAir to stay in touch as they fly on over 8,000 flights each month, to over 240 cities in over 50 countries across Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. OnAir has operated more than 40,000 fully connected SwiftBroadband flights to date.
The Libyan Airlines announcement comes amidst mounting demand for inflight passenger communications. A growing number of commercial airlines and private aviation companies either currently offer OnAir inflight communications services or will offer them in the near future.