As UAE carrier Etihad Airways prepares for a landmark moment in March, when it will offer fleet-wide inflight connectivity services across its 92 aircraft, the airline has reported a “dramatic surge” in Internet and mobile phone usage in 2014.
Etihad has reported that usage of its inflight wi-fi networks has risen by 80% over the last year, while inflight texts and mobile phone calls increased by 62% and 61% respectively, compared to the same period in 2013. 2.6 million devices connecting to the airline’s onboard mobile network in 2014.
According to the airline, iOS was the most popular operating system onboard, with 55% of passengers connecting to the Internet with iPads and iPhones, while 30% used devices running on the Android operating system.
Etihad also found that its Live TV service is attracting strong interest from travelers, with an average of 50,000 hours of live news and major sporting events being viewed each month.
The services comprising wi-fi, mobile connectivity and live television, are together labeled as the ‘Etihad Wi-Fly’ solution, powered by the Panasonic Avionics Global Communications Suite, and OnAir’s inflight connectivity solution.