Emirates CEO Tim Clark (pictured) has said onboard free wifi will become a standard that passengers will expect on a full service airline, just like refreshments and in-flight entertainment.
Clark said demand for free wifi on flights is only going to increase as more people “embrace an always-on digital lifestyle” and carry smart mobile device everywhere they travel.
The prediction came as Emirates recorded a 200 per cent spike in wifi usage in the month of October – mainly due to a free promotion to mark the Eid holidays - with a daily average of 3,500 passengers now using the service.
“If we can offer good quality wifi connections for everyone onboard at no charge tomorrow, we will do it,” said Clark. “But we face a slew of technical limitations – from speed and bandwidth availability and cost, to the supporting hardware and software – all of which we are working hard to address with the industry right now.”
He added: “We believe that onboard wifi will become a free service, and a standard that customers will expect on a full service airline.”
Emirates is spending more than $20 million a year on installing and operating in-flight connectivity systems which enable onboard wifi services. It’s available on all of Emirates’ 53 A380s and on 20 Boeing 777s, which serve routes across six continents.
The airline said the sites its passengers most frequently access include Google, Facebook, and chat services Skype, WhatsApp and BBM.
Emirates.com