Last year, when Finnair brought the Airbus A350XWB into service, it was the first Scandinavian airline to offer its passengers the possibility of surfing the Internet. The airline took the opportunity to announce that it was going to equip its entire fleet of long-haul aircraft with WiFi. From October onwards, the Airbus A330s will also gradually be equipped with the system. " By May 2017, our customers will be able to connect to a wireless Internet network on all our long-haul aircraft. "explains Piia Karhu, Senior Vice President, Customer Services Development. Connectivity will also work in Chinese airspace, after being put on hold at the request of the local authorities.
The best Wi-Fi offer currently available
Finnair is not stopping there, and on 1 September it announced the introduction of a wi-fi service on board its short-haul flights. From next May, the airline will be equipping its Airbus A320s. Connection of the European fleet will be completed by summer 2018. Finnair already boasts " the fastest in-flight Internet connection currently on the market "With a throughput of 12 Mbps per passenger. " Our passengers increasingly value the ability to be connected during their flights, and this change will provide Finnair with great opportunities to develop its in-flight portal, which will provide passengers with information and entertainment programmes, as well as shopping on their mobile devices. "underlines Piia Karhu. "We are delighted to partner with ViaSat on this project, which will enable us to offer our passengers the best Wi-Fi offer currently available on the market, once the installation is complete. ".
The WiFi equipment for the long-haul fleet is being provided by Panasonic Avionics Corporation (PAC Panasonic), which has already worked on the connectivity of Airbus A350 aircraft. The A320s covering the European network will be equipped with the system proposed by ViaSat, in association with EutelSat. These technologies should provide a connection without interference or interruption throughout the flight.
In-flight Internet access is free for Business Class passengers and members of Finnair Plus Gold and Platinum as well as oneworld Sapphire and Emerald. Economy passengers are not forgotten either: for a modest hourly fee or for the entire duration of the flight, they too can surf the Internet on their tablets and laptops...
