IAG has announced plans to install high-speed inflight connectivity across 118 of BA’s long-haul aircraft from Q1 in 2017. The agreement between IAG and in-flight connectivity specialist GoGo will also see Aer Lingus and Iberia aircraft fitted with the same next generation satellite–based system, making IAG the first European airline group to use Gogo’s latest technology called “2Ku”.
The state of the art technology will provide greater bandwidth, faster speed and broader coverage to IAG airlines’ customers. Global connectivity is something customers demand and IAG will be providing high-quality connections with innovative technology solutions to improve the travel experience.
Alex Cruz, British Airways’ Chairman and CEO, said: “A connected fleet opens up a whole host of opportunities for the airline from booking a restaurant or hotel in your final destination to ordering duty-free to be delivered to your home. It will also allow us to better serve our customers during times of disruption as our aircraft will be in constant touch with our ground teams who can relay urgent details such as flight re-bookings or delayed baggage updates. This is an exciting announcement and one that has the potential to transform our customer experience.”
The first long-haul aircraft to be equipped will be a British Airways B747-400 which will be in service early next year.