By Xinhua
Abu Dhabi : Dubai-based Emirates Airline announced Thursday that it has commercially launched in-flight mobile phone service, making it the first airline in the world to provide the service, Emirates News Agency reported.
The first authorised mobile phone call from a commercial flight was made Thursday at 30,000 feet en route to Casablanca onboard an Airbus A340-300 aircraft of Emirates Airline, according to a statement by the airline.
The Airbus A340-300 aircraft is the first one in Emirates Airline’s fleet that is equipped with the AeroMobile system, a communications solution by the British company AeroMobile allowing passengers to use mobile phones while in flight.
Emirates Airline will invest around $27 million to equip its fleet with the AeroMobile system.
The airline had planned to launch the in-flight mobile phone service with an outfitted Boeing 777 aircraft in January 2007, but it had to postpone the plan due to the difficulty to obtain the green light from telecom and aviation regulators in Europe and the US.
Established in 1985 by the Dubai government, Emirates Airline currently operates services to 99 global destinations with a fleet of 113 aircraft.