Brazilian Airline to Trail In-Flight Mobile Phone Service

Brazilian airline, TAM Airlines is to be the first airline in the Americas to offer onboard mobile phone service on its Airbus A320s, with the equipment to be provided by OnAir. The system is expected to begin working in the second half of 2009.

The startup of operations will depend on approval by Brazil's National Agency of Civil Aviation (Anac) and the National Agency of Telecommunications (Anatel), as well as the adjustment of legislation that only authorizes cell phone use when the aircraft is on the ground and the doors are open.

OnAir president, Benoit Debains, underscored TAM's status as a pioneer in adopting this onboard communications system. "We are very pleased by the fact that TAM, one of the leaders in innovation in passenger service, and the largest airline in South America, has chosen OnAir to implement this additional benefit for its passengers," he said.

The OnAir system was certified by the European Aviation Safety Agency (Easa), and its use was recently regulated by the European Union. The mechanism ensures complete safety for passengers, since it prevents signals from devices from causing interference in the aircrafts commands. In addition, should the need arise, the system can be shut down at any time. The company chose the OnAir system after two years of assessing connectivity solutions available on the market.

TAM Airlines, which is the Southern Hemisphere's largest airline; is based in São Paulo and operates scheduled services from São Paulo to destinations within Brazil, as well as international flights. The company is traded on the São Paulo Exchange (Bovespa) and New York Stock Exchange.

Posted to the site on 11th September 2008