Keeping in touch while in the air
Emirates is the first airline in the world to commercially launch an inflight mobile telephone service, affording greater convenience to passengers wishing to stay connected while travelling, the Dubai-based carrier said. The first authorised mobile...
Emirates is the first airline in the world to commercially launch an inflight mobile telephone service, affording greater convenience to passengers wishing to stay connected while travelling, the Dubai-based carrier said.
The first authorised mobile phone call from a commercial flight was made at 30,000 feet en route to Casablanca on board an Emirates Airbus A340-300 - the first in the airline's fleet to be equipped with the AeroMobile system.
The airline will be investing about $27 million to fit its fleet with the AeroMobile system that ensures passenger mobile phones operate at their absolute minimum power, thereby allowing their safe use on the aircraft.
A second Emirates aircraft, a Boeing 777-300, has already been installed with the AeroMobile system and will be in operation very shortly.
Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, chairman and chief executive, Emirates Airline and Group, said: "All seats across our fleet are already equipped with in-seat phones as well as e-mail and text messaging capabilities via the in-seat entertainment system.
"Our customers are already making more than 7,000 calls a month from our in-seat phones, so we will be making life easier for those for whom staying in touch has become an important part of their everyday lives."
The number of calls that can be made at any one time is limited to five or six, the same number as for the current in-seat phones used regularly by Emirates passengers.
In addition to calls, the service will allow passengers to send and receive text messages, with charges in line with premium international roaming rates.
Users will be billed on their regular phone bills by their own service providers as with any other roaming call.
On aircraft where the AeroMobile system is not installed, existing rules banning the use of mobile phones by passengers remain in force.
Emirates Airline operates five flights weekly from Dubai to Malta via Larnaca in Cyprus, on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays using the Boeing 777-200.