Etihad Airways, UAE’s national carrier, has witnessed a dramatic surge in internet and mobile phone usage while travelling in 2014, with usage rising by 80 per cent.

Increased demand for on-board mobile services also contributed to the surge in usage, with 2.6 million devices connecting to the airline’s on-board mobile network in 2014. Inflight texts and mobile phone calls increased by 62 per cent and 61 per cent respectively, compared to the same period in 2013.

iOS was the most popular operating system on-board, with 55 per cent of the airline’s guests connecting to the internet with their iPads and iPhones, while 30 per cent used devices running on Android’s operating system.

Etihad Airways Live TV service is attracting strong interest and receiving great feedback from travellers, with an average of 50,000 hours of live news and major sporting events being viewed each month.

Peter Baumgartner, Etihad Airways chief commercial officer, said: “We continue to redefine our guests’ air travel experience with innovative products and services, the latest communication technology and entertainment systems that best fit their needs.”

The services comprising wi-fi, mobile connectivity and live television, combine the “Etihad Wi-Fly” solution, powered by the Panasonic Avionics Global Communications Suite, and OnAir’s inflight connectivity solution.

The high-speed broadband services enable guests to access the Internet from laptops, tablets and smartphones over wi-fi, allowing them to send emails, log onto their favourite social media sites, upgrade seats, and change travel plans, all from the comfort of their seats at 35,000 feet.

The mobile connectivity service allows guests to use their mobile phones and smartphones to make and receive phone calls, send and read SMS text messages or email, use mobile data services to and browse the web.

The airline’s connected fleet comprises 92 passenger aircraft including 29 Airbus A319/320/321s, 26 A330s, 11 A340s, one A380, 24 Boeing 777 family aircraft and the first B787 Dreamliner, which serve routes across six continents. All future aircraft scheduled for delivery through 2015 will also be equipped with inflight connectivity.

Packages to access the internet start at $5 and can be purchased using credit cards, PayPal and a range of other convenient payment methods. Mobile telephone usage will be billed by the guest’s mobile service providers based on the international roaming rates levied by the service providers, the airline said. – TradeArabia News Service