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Demand for in-flight Wi-Fi access is expected to increase exponentially and ultimately should be offered free of charge, Emirates predicted today.
The forecast came as the Dubai-based carrier revealed that more than 500,000 passengers have connected to the internet on board flights in the first three years since launching in-flight Wi-Fi connectivity.
The carrier is spending over $20 million a year on installing and operating inflight connectivity systems which enable onboard Wi-Fi services.
Wi-Fi is available on the airline’s Emirates’ 53 A380 superjumbos and on 28 Boeing 777s, which serve routes across six continents.
The airline also has a retrofit programme which will eventually see its entire fleet Wi-Fi enabled.
The carrier is subsidising or waiving the high cost of buying data for passenger use, with the first 10MBs free on most flights and a token fee of $1 for the next 600MB.
Airline president, Tim Clark, said: “It is a fact that our customers want onboard connectivity, and this demand is only going to increase as more people embrace an ‘always-on’ digital lifestyle, and carry smart mobile devices when they travel.
“We’ve always viewed Wi-Fi as a service and a value-added part of Emirates’ overall product, rather than a revenue stream.”
He added: “If we can offer good quality Wi-Fi connections for everyone on board at no charge tomorrow, we will do it. But we face a slew of technical limitations – from speed and bandwidth availability and cost, to the supporting hardware and software – all of which we are working hard to address with the industry right now.
“Ultimately, we believe that onboard Wi-Fi will become a free service, and a standard that customers will expect on a full service airline, just like onboard refreshments and personal inflight entertainment.
“Emirates is leading the way on this, and we are working closely with our suppliers and various stakeholders towards this vision.”
Emirates saw a daily average of 3,500 passengers using onboard Wi-Fi, at an average of 28MB per user in October.
The sites its passengers most frequently access include Google, Facebook, and chat services Skype, WhatsApp and BBM.
The highest number of Wi-Fi users on a single Emirates flight was recorded on an A380 with 153 passengers connecting, and the highest internet volume recorded on a single flight was nearly 8,000MB from 26 users onboard a Boeing 777.