RYANAIR has announced a deal that will see the airline”s entire fleet of Boeing 737 aircraft fitted with OnAir's onboard mobile communications solution. The deal means that from mid-2007 (subject to relevant regulatory approval) Ryanair's passengers will be able to call, text and email using their mobile phones, BlackBerrys and Treos at rates which will mirror international roaming charges. OnAir intends to fit 50 Ryanair aircraft during the second half of 2007, with the remainder of the fleet receiving installations from early 2008 onwards. The big question is will the customers accept it? Rynair”s last gimmick, hand held movie units, were not a success, and with the airline”s quality reputation lacking (see YouGov brand index), and 29” seat pitch, it could be that passengers will rebel against the noisy chatter of fellow travellers. A ”quiet zone” on the 737s will be against the O”Leary principal of quick turnarounds.
http://www.ryanair.com
http://www.onair.aero