Saudia to expand inflight connectivity across the fleet

Saudia’s passengers have taken to social media to say how much they value staying in touch with family, friends and colleagues, updating social media and surfing the Internet during flights. Comments have included: ‘Thanks, it’s very good because it’s easy to use’; ‘I used my mobile on a flight today: excellent’; and, ‘Awesome: keep going’.

 

Saudia’s new A330s, which will be delivered throughout this year and next, will be equipped with Mobile OnAir and Internet OnAir. They will join the A330s already flying with OnAir connectivity, bringing the total to 12. The airline’s existing and planned fleet of 20 B777-300ERs will also have OnAir’s GSM and Wi-Fi services fitted, enabled by the Thales TopConnect solution. Both fleets will use Inmarsat’s SwiftBroadband, the only satellite network designed specifically to provide consistent global coverage.

 

“Our experience has shown very clearly that passengers want to be able to use their phones, tablets and laptops to stay in touch during flights. That alone is a good enough reason to provide connectivity more widely because we value customer satisfaction very highly”, said Mr. Tarik Sindi, Saudia’s VP marketing & product management.