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TAP Portugal: TAP PORTUGAL STARTS TRIAL OF INFLIGHT MOBILE PHONE SERVICE(M2 PressWIRE Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) RDATE:02072008 Lisbon/Geneva -- TAP Portugal and OnAir today announced the start of TAP's new inflight passenger communications services. This service will allow passengers on TAP flights across Europe to use their BlackBerry-type devices and mobile phones to send and receive emails and text messages, and to make and receive voice calls. TAP is one of the leading European airlines to run a commercial trial of Mobile OnAir, which uses the latest Inmarsat satellite communications, SwiftBroadband, for high speed air-to-ground communications. The service will be available on a single Airbus A319 aircraft and after an initial period of six months, the success of the mobile services will be evaluated. Fernando Pinto, CEOof TAP, said, "We are very pleased to be the first Star Alliance member to trial Mobile OnAir, a service we believe will add greatly to the quality of the time our customers spend flying with us. We believe that both business and leisure passengers will very much welcome this new service and that it will provide us with a definite competitive edge." Mobile OnAir will allow sending and receiving of unlimited text messages and emails including attachments, and will also allow voice calls. A central feature of the service is the crew's ability to turn it off at any time, or switch it to silent' - text and email only - mode, enabling the airline to customize the services to its passengers' preferences. Benoit Debains, CEO of OnAir, said, "Mobile OnAir's Swift Broadband services have already been successfully used by passengers travelling to 36 cities in 18 countries across Europe and North Africa with overwhelmingly positive feedback. The start of the Mobile OnAir service on TAP will further increase demand for inflight passenger communications market, as well as confirming OnAir's leading position." Notes to editors: 1. Mobile phones and GPRS devices can be used on any aircraft equipped with the OnAir equipment. The passenger's device connects to the OnAir system via a mini base-station on the aircraft, based around a picocell, which picks up signals from PDAs and phones and sends them to a satellite. From there, they go to OnAir's ground network, then out to the public network. 2. Passenger will be able to turn on their mobile phones and GPRS devices and use them as if they were on the ground. To make a call on board the aircraft, passengers simply dial the international prefix (+) or 00 + country code + full number. About TAP Portugal TAP Portugal is the Portuguese leading airline, member of Star Alliance since March 14, 2005, the same day on which the company also celebrated its 60th anniversary. Its hub in Lisbon is a key European gateway at the crossroads of Africa, North & South America, where TAP stands out as the leading carrier in operation to Brazil, with 67 frequencies a week. Currently, TAP network comprises 58 destinations in 25 countries worldwide. TAP operates over 1,850 weekly flights in average on a modern fleet of 53 Airbus aircraft, to which add some more 16 aircraft servicing PGA, acquired in 2007. Globally, the Company's current fleet now comprises 69 aircraft. Pursuing its customer focused orientation, TAP continuously invests in innovation and new technologies, whose potentialities add to deliver safe, reliable and upgraded product & services, tailored to meet customers' expectations. About OnAir OnAir was incorporated in February 2005 and is owned by Airbus and SITA, the aviation IT experts. OnAir's goal is to give airline passengers the ability to communicate from the sky. The OnAir service portfolio addresses passenger voice and data communications needs on both long- and short-haul flights, on Airbus, Boeing and business aircraft, with Airbus KID-Systeme acting as the integrator of the onboard systems required to access the OnAir services. OnAir focuses on passengers' needs, offering choice, and ensuring an economically viable business model for airlines. OnAir is a member of the GSM Association and an Inmarsat Distribution Partner for SwiftBroadband services. CONTACT: WWW: http://www.flytap.com WWW: http://www.onair.aero ((M2 Communications Ltd disclaims all liability for information provided within M2 PressWIRE. Data supplied by named party/parties. Further information on M2 PressWIRE can be obtained at http://www.presswire.net on the world wide web. Inquiries to [email protected])). Copyright ? 2008 M2 Communications Ltd. |