Airlines

Kuwait's Jazeera opts for on-board mobile phone service

By Graham Dunn

Kuwaiti budget carrier Jazeera Airways has become the latest airline to outline its intention to equip its aircraft with a system enabling passengers to use their mobile phones and portable devices on board.

The airline, which started operations just over two years ago and currently operates six Airbus A320s, says it plans to outfit all its aircraft with the service in 2009.

Chairman and CEO Marwan Boodai says: “The new service will be available to all passengers for a fee, and will empower passengers to continue communicating with their families or their office while on board.”

Jazeera does not specify which system it has selected to enable the service and nobody was immediately available for comment at the carrier.

Air France late last year became the first airline to begin flights with SITA/Airbus joint venture OnAir’s on-board mobile connectivity service – it is carrying out a six month trial – while Middle Eastern carrier Emirates is expected shortly to go live with Aeromobile’s service supporting on-board connectivity.

Two other Middle Eastern carriers, Royal Jordanian Airlines and Saudi Arabian Airlines, have also signed up to offer the service, picking OnAir and Aeromobile respectively.

Fast-growing Jazeera, which listed on the Kuwait stock exchange today, has orders to grow its fleet to 40 A320s by 2014.

Source: flightglobal.com's sister premium news site Air Transport Intelligence news