Air France and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines are launching trial flights featuring in-flight Wi-Fi connectivity provided by Panasonic Avionics, the company said Thursday.
The trial phase will last for the remainder of 2013, on two Boeing 777-300s, operating commercially to several long-haul destinations. According to Panasonic, the service will be distributed to passengers at an hourly rate, or for one fixed fee that covers the duration of the flight.
Passengers will be able to connect to the wireless service–via the on-bard portal or satellite Internet–at 20,000 feet, or shortly after taking off.
Both carriers will be researching user trends during this trial phase, and then looking to work with Panasonic to improve the service going forward.
Related: In-Flight Connectivity News