AeroMobile Communications Limited is a registered mobile network operator for the aviation industry and is based in the UK. It provides technology and services that allow the safe use of passengers' own mobile phones while inflight. A subsidiary of Panasonic Avionics Corporation [1] its services are often installed alongside Panasonic's Wi-Fi network and can be installed either at the point of aircraft manufacture or retro-fitted across both Airbus and Boeing aircraft. Panasonic Avionic's Wi-Fi network and AeroMobile's mobile phone network are complimentary services and provide passengers with a choice of inflight connectivity options.
Since launching the service in March 2008, over 40 million passengers have connected to the network [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] and AeroMobile now has over 20 airline partners offering passengers inflight voice, SMS and data services on selected, connected flights. Airline partners include Emirates, Etihad, KLM, Lufthansa, SAS, Virgin Atlantic, Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific and Turkish Airlines.
In December 2015 AeroMobile launched the world's first 3.5G inflight mobile network with Air Berlin. [7] The 3.5G network provides passengers with a substantial increase in data speeds, faster browsing and quicker posts.
Company milestones
| Date | Event | Details |
|---|---|---|
| September 2004 | First demonstration of GSM voice and text services over Inmarsat Aero H Satcom | At World Airline Entertainment Association Congress |
| May 2005 | First demonstration of GSM voice and text services over Inmarsat Aero H on Boeing 777 | B777-200LR World Tour |
| November 2005 | Public use of GSM voice and text service in-flight | B777-200LR world record flight |
| April 2006 | Demonstration of GSM voice, text and GPRS services over Inmarsat Swift Broadband and Ku Band | Aircraft Interiors Expo, Hamburg |
| April 2007 | First commercial service of in-flight voice, text and GPRS | On Qantas domestic B767 |
| March 2008 | Launch of commercial in-flight GSM service on A340 | Emirates A340-300 Dubai to Casablanca |
| August 2008 | World's first commercial in-flight GSM service on B777 | Emirates B777-300 Dubai to London Heathrow |
| October 2008 | World's first commercial in-flight GSM service on A330 | Emirates A330-200 |
| November 2008 | Malaysia Airlines become the first air carrier in Asia to launch trial of in-flight GSM service | Malaysia Airlines B777-200 |
| December 2008 | 50,000 passengers use the AeroMobile service | December 10 on Emirates flight number EK0923 from Dubai to Cairo |
| February 2009 | 100,000 passengers use the AeroMobile service | February 15 on Emirates flight number EK0404 from Dubai to Singapore |
| July 2009 | AeroMobile's technology completes certification on sixth aircraft type | A340-300, A340-500, B777-200, A330-200, B777-300, B777-300ER |
| February 2011 | 5,000,000th Emirates passenger switches on their phone in-flight | Emirates Airlines flight EK0097 from Dubai to Rome |
| December 2011 | Virgin Atlantic launch in-flight GSK service | Ten Virgin Atlantic Airbus A330 and Six B747-400 aircraft |
| June 2012 | Gulf Air launch in-flight GSM service | Six Gulf Air A330-200 aircraft |
| Autumn 2012 | Over 12 million unique users use AeroMobile service | |
| September 2012 | Delivery of 1st AeroMobile line-fit from Boeing | Thai Airways B777-300ER |
| December 2012 | First AeroMobile flight on SAS | SAS B737 Oslo to Evenes |
| December 2012 | Etihad Airways launch "Etihad Wi-Fly" including mobile connectivity by AeroMobile | Airbus A330-200 |
| February 2013 | Kevin Rogers appointed CEO of AeroMobile | |
| May 2013 | AeroMobile launches inflight mobile service for Air France-KLM | Two Boeing B777-300 aircraft equipped |
| June 2013 | Etihad Airways rolls out AeroMobile connectivity on New York route | Boeing 777-300ER |
| September 2013 | Singapore Airlines launch AeroMobile inflight mobile connectivity service | B777-300ER |
| October 2013 | Aer Lingus launch inflight mobile services with AeroMobile | All seven of the airline's Airbus A330 aircraft |
| January 2014 | Launch of AeroMobile connectivity on selected Qatar Airways aircraft | Selected A330-200 |
| February 2014 | Lufthansa rolls out mobile phone services with AeroMobile | Selected A330s |
| February 2014 | Boeing delivers first B747-8 with AeroMobile connectivity | Lufthansa B747-8 |
| June 2014 | Launch of two EVA Air B777-300 aircraft with AeroMobile connectivity | Two B777-300s |
| February 2015 | Launch of Etihad A380 with AeroMobile connectivity | Etihad A380 |
| May 2015 | Launch of AeroMobile connectivity on selected Malindo Air aircraft | Selected B737-900 aircraft |
| June 2015 | Launch of AeroMobile connectivity on selected Alitalia aircraft | Selected A330-200 aircraft |
| October 2015 | Launch of AeroMobile connectivity on selected Air Serbia aircraft | Selected A319 and A320 aircraft |
| December 2015 | Launch of AeroMobile connectivity on selected Air Berlin aircraft | Launch of world's first inflight 3G network! |
| February 2016 | Launch of AeroMobile connectivity on selected SWISS aircraft | |
| May 2016 | Launch of AeroMobile 3G connectivity on selected Eurowings aircraft | |
| June 2016 | Launch of AeroMobile 3G connectivity on selected Cathay Pacific aircraft | |
| October 2016 | Singapore Airlines announce the launch of 3G A350-900 | First A350 with AeroMobile connectivity |
| December 2016 | Launch of AeroMobile connectivity on selected Turkish Airlines and Kuwait Airways aircraft | |
| January 2017 | AeroMobile achieve the milestone of 1 Million connected flights | |
| January 2018 | Launch of AeroMobile connectivity on selected Malaysia Airlines aircraft |
Customers
-
Aer Lingus - Launched 2013: A330-200s and A330-300s -
Air France - Launched 2013: B777 -
Air Serbia - Launched 2015: A319 and A320 -
Alitalia- Launched 2015: A330-200s -
Cathay Pacific - Launched 2016: A350 -
Emirates Airline - Launched 2008: A330-200s, A340-300s, A340-500s, B777-200, B777-300ERs, GSM and GPRS services -
Etihad - Launched 2012: A330s, A380 and B777-300ERs
-
Eurowings - Launched 2016: A330 -
EVA Air - Launched 2014: B777 -
KLM - Launched 2013: B777 -
Kuwait Airways - Launched 2016: B777 -
Malaysia Airlines - Launched 2018: A350-900, GSM and GPRS services -
Malindo Air - Launched 2015: B737-900s
-
Lufthansa - Launched 2014: A330-300s, B747-400s, B747-800s, A380-800s, A340-300s, GSM and GPRS services
-
SAS - Launched 2012: B737s GSM and GPRS (email) services -
Qatar Airways - Launched 2014: A330-200 -
Singapore Airlines Launched 2013: B777-300ER -
SWISS Launched 2016: B777 and A330 -
Turkish Airlines - A330-300s and B777-300ERs -
Virgin Atlantic - Launched 2011: A330, B747-400 GSM and GPRS services
See also
References
- ^ Ian, Mansfield. "Panasonic Takes Majority Stake in AeroMobile". Cellular News. Retrieved 27 Mar 2012.
- ^ "More Than Three-Quarters Of Brits Use Their Mobile Phones Abroad". Aeromobile PR. Retrieved May 23, 2013.
- ^ "About AeroMobile". aeromobile.net. Archived from the original on 2 November 2013. Retrieved 1 November 2013.
- ^ "Aer Lingus Launches InFlight Mobile Services With AeroMobile". airfax.com/blog/index.php. Archived from the original on 18 October 2014. Retrieved 1 November 2013.
- ^ "Aeromobile provides Singapore Airlines with in-flight Wi-Fi and GSM". aircraftinteriorsinternational.com/. Retrieved 1 November 2013.
- ^ "AeroMobile research reveals UK travellers mobile phone habits". aircraftinteriorsinternational.com. Retrieved 1 November 2013.
- ^ "AeroMobile launches world's first inflight 3.5G network". Archived from the original on 2017-02-23. Retrieved 2017-02-23.