Dubai: Dubai-based Emirates airline now offers Wi-Fi on 106 of its aircraft, with two to three more aircraft being installed with the connectivity every month. After updating the service in early February with a simpler sign-on process on top of other software updates, Emirates has seen a further 25 per cent increase in uptake. Emirates said it continues to invest over USD 20 million annually on installing and operating inflight connectivity systems, which enable onboard Wi-Fi services. The airline said on its ultra long-haul flights (over 14 hours), over 30 per cent of passengers typically use Wi-Fi services, and on a recent flight to New York, 66 per cent of passengers used onboard Wi-Fi. Currently, Wi-Fi service is available on all of Emirates' 59 Airbus A380 aircraft and 47 of its Boeing 777 aircraft.
On more than 60 per cent of the installed fleet, the first 10MB data is free, sufficient for an update on social media accounts or texting via instant messaging apps. Thereafter, and for the rest of the fleet, users can enjoy 500MB of data for a token USD 1 charge. By giving either free access or charging a token amount since last October, Emirates has seen a near fivefold increase in usage. Emirates is in the process of converting all of its Boeing 777-300ERs and 777-200LRs to become Wi-Fi ready at the rate of two-to-three aircraft per month. "Customers seek free Wi-Fi on-the-go, especially while travelling, and it is becoming the norm for most people who want to stay connected through online social networks and instant messaging."
"Emirates is subsidizing or waiving the high cost of buying data to serve our passengers on routes across six continents. We foresee that free Wi-Fi onboard is the future standard for all our customers, something that will require no charge or limitations," said Patrick Brannelly, Divisional Vice President for Customer Experience (Inflight Entertainment & Connectivity).
In 2014, about 650,000 customers used Emirates Wi-Fi service on board and as of early March this year, more than 350,000 customers have already used the service.
