[Satellite TODAY Insider 04-07-11] OnAir signed an expanded satellite in-flight connectivity deal with Air New Zealand to equip mobile phone and data services onboard the airline’s domestic A320 aircraft, OnAir announced April 6.
    Two Air New Zealand aircraft already have launched the OnAir offering, with an additional two aircraft scheduled for installation and deployment by the end of this year.
    OnAir CEO Ian Dawkins told Satellite TODAY Insider that industry analysts should expect more deals of this nature to drive significant revenue increases for the company in 2011. "As more and more aircraft will be equipped and enter into service, revenues will also logically increase. We currently have 14 airlines in service and are expecting another six to launch by the end of the year," he said.
    Dawking also expects growth in the Asia-Pacific region – OnAir’s second largest market by number of customers – with Singapore Airlines launching the OnAir connectivity solutions this summer, followed by Hong Kong Airlines.
    "This year will be the tipping point for airlines offering these services. We are witnessing a number of requests for information or proposals being made. The fact that OnAir has been selected by prestigious carriers such as Singapore Airlines, Emirates Airlines, British Airways and Qatar Airways sends a strong signal to the industry that connectivity is now a must-have," Dawkins said.
    OnAir also conducted internal research on passenger usage trends, which showed that 95 percent of in-flight connectivity customers use GSM service options rather than logging into hotspots. More than half of passengers who bought in-flight Internet access used their tablet or smart phone, rather than a laptop, showing that people like the convenience of using their own, familiar, handheld devices, according to Dawkins.
    "When passengers have bought access to the in-flight Internet, bandwidth consumption has typically been light, mirroring the way that people communicate on the ground when roaming. Of the top 20 websites accessed over OnAir’s inflight Internet service, Facebook is number one with nearly 40 percent of all usage. To put that into perspective, the second-ranked website is Google, with only 10 percent," Dawkins said.

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