19/02/2009
Ryanair to relay passenger mobile phone calls via Inmarsat
19-02-2009 - Passengers flying with European low-fares carrier Ryanair can now use their own mobile phones to call and send SMS text messages - with Inmarsat providing the link to the ground.
The Ryanair service is provided through OnAir, Ryanair says the service will initially be available on 20 of its Boeing 737 aircraft to customers of more than 50 European mobile phone operators.
Aircraft cabin
A miniature, low-power GSM basestation installed in the aircraft cabin picks up the passengers' mobile signals and connects them to the onboard Inmarsat satellite system.
OnAir chief executive Benoit Debains said: "We are proud to work with Ryanair and to provide their passengers with access to this new technology, which will enable them to send and receive emails and text messages, download attachments and make and receive calls just as they would on the ground."
Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary said: "We expect customer demand for this service to grow rapidly and hope that customers of all UK mobile operators will soon be able to call or text home from 30,000 feet to tell loved-ones of yet another on-time Ryanair flight."
The Dublin-based airline plans eventually to outfit its entire fleet of more than 170 aircraft with the technology.