Air France to fly First Aircraft with In-Flight Mobile Phone System

Air France will take delivery in early 2007 of the first Airbus aircraft line fitted with the OnAir GSM equipment enabling the use of mobile phones on board, it was announced at the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg.

Air France will receive the first aircraft, a single-aisle Airbus A318 that will have the OnAir system pre-installed, and will conduct a six month commercial trial using the new service. The passenger trials will take place on short-haul flights within Europe and to and from North African destinations, and will help Air France to consider every impact this new service may have on the cabin environment and the travel experience.

The OnAir service will allow Air France travelers to use their own GSM mobile phones and GPRS-enabled devices such as the BlackBerry or Treo, to make and receive voice calls or to send and receive SMS messages or emails during the flight without harmful interference to the aircraft navigation systems.