AeroMobile now has 100 aircraft on its 3.5G mobile network, parent company Panasonic Avionics said. According to Panasonic, 60% of airlines offer 3.5G in-flight connectivity, and AeroMobile’s user base grew 57% between the fourth quarter of 2016 and the first quarter of 2017.
“The milestone of 100 3.5G-connected aircraft is testament to the continued airline adoption of the service and strong passenger demand,” said Kevin Rogers, CEO of AeroMobile. “We have seen rapid growth in the 3.5G service and already 60% of our airline partners are rolling it out. In 2017 alone, 3.5G connected aircraft have already flown to 127 destinations in 65 countries.”
With AeroMobile’s offering, passengers can use their own mobile devices to text, make calls, browse the internet and more, Panasonic said. There is no onboard payment or registration, as they are billed directly by the mobile operator. Panasonic said the 3.5G network complements its global inflight connectivity service.
More than 500 aircraft across 21 airlines use AeroMobile’s phone services, Panasonic said. Airlines include Air Berlin, Aer Lingus, Air France, Alitalia, Emirates, Etihad, EuroWings, EVA Air, Cathay Pacific, KLM, Kuwait Airways, Lufthansa, Malindo Air, Qatar Airways, SAS, Singapore Airlines, Air Serbia, Air Seychelles, SWISS, Turkish Airlines and Virgin Atlantic.