Oman Air, the national carrier of Oman, was recently awarded for its introduction of in-flight mobile phone and Wi-Fi connectivity at fourth annual Aviation Business Awards 2010 in Abu Dhabi.

The award in the Technology Implementation of the Year category recognised the airline’s in-flight system which utilises the Airbus ALNA V2 system and Honeywell’s SwiftBroadband (SBB) solution, via OnAir and Inmarsat.

“Oman Air is extremely proud to have won this important award and to be recognised as the first airline in the world to offer both full mobile phone and Wi-Fi connectivity onboard our widebody fleet,” said Peter Hill, Oman Air’s chief executive officer.

“The introduction of this cutting-edge technology offers passengers the convenience of connecting to the Internet and any one of a range of hand-held devices from the comfort of their seat.”

“With the ability to make phone calls, send text messages, use instant messaging, check emails, surf the web or update social media, passengers onboard Oman Air’s A330 flights need never be out of touch with the world, even as they fly,” he added.

Organised by publisher ITP Business, fourth annual Aviation Business Awards included 15 categories in total, covering the airline, airport and cargo sectors, and entries were assessed by a prestigious panel of experts, selected from within the Middle East aerospace industry. – TradeArabia News Service