AirAsia Testing New Inflight Wi-Fi System

AirAsia is now testing inflight Wi-Fi ahead of an expected product launch scheduled for year end.

A range of Wi-Fi products including instant messaging, emails as well as content streaming will be made available gradually on all AirAsia flights with the AK flight code operated by AirAsia Berhad from Malaysia.

Earlier this week, three instant messaging services, namely LINE, Whatsapp and WeChat were tested during an user acceptance testing (UAT) exercise.

“I am very proud and happy that our staff continue to push the boundaries of being innovative. The Wi-Fi equipment that was introduced to us much earlier was just too expensive and we have decided to develop our own. It has taken us five years to come to this stage, but in true AirAsia style, we have to get it right and provide our guests with the best value at the most affordable rates,” said AirAsia’s Group Chief Executive Officer, Tony Fernandes. “Finally, the masses will be able to enjoy Wi-Fi on board at a low-cost price. As I promised to the market, this is one of many initiatives that we are rolling out to boost our ancillary income per passenger spent target of RM60 in the near term.”

For the next two months, AirAsia will be providing around 60 passengers on each AK flight with the opportunity to participate in the test.

See also: AirAsia to Offer Business Travellers More Flexibility