BA - the world's favourite Internet service provider?

By Alun Williams

Posted on 14 Jun 2002 at 16:33

British Airways has chosen Boeing to supply a Net-enabled aircraft system to provide in-flight access.

The move is a blow to the European aircraft industry - The Independent reports that BA chose the Boeing system in preference to an equivalent Airbus offering.

Boeing's Connexion system supports an airborne, satellite-based broadband service and trials of the system are expected to being in February 2003. According to the newspaper, BA will use a Boeing 747-400 aircraft to trial the system for three months. If this is successful, Connexion could be installed on all long-haul routes by the end of 2004.
We reported back in May that Boeing's Connexion system had passed strict US regulatory conditions, giving the company a seal of approval from the US Federal Aviation Administration. Other Carriers that have expressed an interest in Connexion include Lufthansa, American Airlines and Delta.

Airlines have long been competing to offer true, in-flight Internet access to customers. The attractions for passengers are obvious: browsing the Web, sending email and even, perhaps, streamed movie or television content. Indications are, however, that it will only be business class travellers that enjoys the onboard online experience while paying a surcharge to do so.