A new study has highlighted the need for airlines to provide fast and consistent in-flight wireless connectivity to their passengers in the Middle East, reports traveldailynews.com.
Honeywell Aerospace surveyed 1,300 regular travellers from the region in an attempt to discover just how reliant they were on being connected 24/7.
A staggering 76 per cent of the respondents viewed in-flight Wi-Fi as “important” or “vital”, while 68 per cent said that airlines couldn’t possibly promote their suitability for business travellers without providing a connection.
While some of the group demanded this service be provided free of charge, the vast majority (76 per cent) said they would purchase Wi-Fi on board when flying long-haul.
Aileen McDowall, vice president of Air Transport at Honeywell Aerospace, said this indicates that passengers may take the availability of in-flight broadband into account when choosing which airline to fly with.
She told travel.financialexpress.com: “The Middle East aerospace industry is experiencing rapid expansion and technology and innovation is vital for meeting passenger demand.
“With people wanting to stay online when flying and with faster connectivity on personal devices, we are seeing a growing trend toward the cabin always being connected.”
The study said this also supported the theory that flight passengers’ online requirements are becoming similar to those that they have for their own homes.
