Travelers on British Airways would soon enjoy additional luxury, as the airline looks at having internet connectivity on-board. Passengers can now be on top of their emails, social media and even stream live TV up in the sky.
The project which is currently on trial gives passengers access to on-board WiFi which is compatible to most mobile electronic devices. Currently British Airways has only one aircraft – Boeing 747, which has the WiFi internet connectivity.
The WiFi also allows passengers to stream live television on-board to watch their favourite programs.
The airline on June 26, 2014 made history when it made its first trip to Africa, specifically Ghana where it streamed the world cup match between Ghana and Portugal on-board some 33,000 feet in the sky.
Speaking in an interview with journalists on-board, Area General Manager for Africa, Asia Pacific and Middle East, Jammie Cassidy noted that the trial has been on for some months now and as soon as they have the all-clear, the WiFi would be on all their fleet.
He further indicated that “we really want our passengers to be relaxed and not be in a rush to connect with their families, friends and work. They can now be able to work on the go, be on top of emails and presentations even before they touch down.
“The connectivity is not restricted to just the Club World (Business Class) but it will be available throughout the entire plane…. But it is currently available on only one aircraft. After a while, we’re going to evaluate the trial and hopefully we can put it on all out planes.”
Another fascinating feature British Airways seeks to fully roll out in the very near future is the ability to make and receive phone calls on board, thousands of feet in the sky. A number of the journalists on-board were able to make calls from the plane. This component is also on trial.
Airlines over the years were quite strict on passengers using mobile devices on board but all of this seems to be a thing of the past as new cutting edge technology is helping make working on the go much easier.
General Manager in charge of Ghana, Moran Burger, dismissed speculative fears surrounding using mobile devices on-board and said “there is no risk associated with using these devices but above all, for us at British Airways, safety has always been our priority.
“We would never do anything that would compromise the safety our passengers and our aircraft… that’s why we are trialing this before making it available on our fleet.”
By: Martin Asiedu-Dartey/citifmonline.com/Ghana