Ryanair announces onboard mobile service

Low-cost operator will allow mobile calls on planes from mid 2007

Ryanair is to allow passengers on its flights to use their mobile phones from the middle of next year.

The low-cost operator will equip its fleet with the OnAir onboard mobile communication system. Passengers wanting to use the service will be charged standard international roaming rates.

Some 50 aircraft will be fitted with the system by the middle of 2007, before being rolled out to all 200 aircraft.

Passengers will be able to make and receive calls, exchange SMS messages and connect to email via satellite broadband links and a ground network to be supplied by OnAir’s telecoms infrastructure partner, Monaco Telecom.

Ryanair’s chief executive Michael O’Leary has described the service as 'revolutionary'.

'Ryanair will soon enable passengers to use their mobile phones and electronic communications devices in the air, just as they do on the ground,' said O'Leary.

'The revenues generated by onboard mobile telephony will reduce our costs and help us double the size of our operation over the next five years as we grow to carry 80 million passengers annually by 2012,' he said.

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