Travelers on Air China's Boeing aircraft may enjoy high-speed
Internet access before the year 2008, according to sources with
China's flagship airline.
Air China have
signed an agreement with Connexion by Boeing SM, a business unit of
The Boeing Company, to install its 15 "747-400"airplanes, and
others to be confirmed, with real-time, high-speed web
services.
The installation will start in October this year, and is
expected to be completed before the 2008 Olympic Games.
Business and leisure travelers will be able to use their laptops
to send and receive e-mails, connect to corporate networks, or
simply surf the web to watch the Olympic Games at speeds that are
comparable to a modern home or office.
The service will be available on Air China's major routes
linking China with North America, Europe, the Middle East and the
whole Asia-Pacific area, said an Air China spokesman.
Lianne Stein, vice president of Connexion by Boeing's civil
aviation branch, said that the company was delighted with their
agreement with Air China and promised to offer a high-quality,
in-flight online service to travelers on board.
Air China's vice president Ma Kuiliang expressed his belief that
the new service would upgrade Air China's service and assist
communications between the air crew and the logistics and service
departments on the ground.
With its headquarters in Beijing, Air China has extended its air
routes to most of China's major cities and many overseas countries.
Currently, Air China has 160 airplanes flying to 72 domestic and 36
international terminals.
Connexion by Boeing entered commercial service with Germany's
national carrier Lufthansa on May 17, 2004.
Since then, other carriers from around the world have joined the
Connexion: All Nippon Airways, Asiana, EI AI, Japan Airlines,
Korean Airlines, Scandinavian Airlines and Singapore Airlines have
chosen the Connexion by Boeing system for their long-haul
fleets.
(Xinhua News Agency February 12, 2006)