Mobile services now available on AZAL flights
By Nigar Orujova
Azerbaijani mobile operator Azerfon (Nar Mobile) and Swiss OnAir company have introduced communication services aboard planes of the Azerbaijani state airline AZAL.
Azerfon has a 10-year exclusive agreement with AZAL to render mobile communication services during flights.
The mobile communication system was tested by Azerfon, AZAL and OnAir representatives during a Baku-Kiev flight on Thursday.
AZAL spokesman Maharram Safarli regarded this innovation an important development during the Year of Information and Communication Technologies in the country. Safarli noted that after the introduction of the new service, AZAL brought one more innovation among the CIS countries by rendering a full variety of communication services in the air.
"In the future, Nar Mobile services will be used on all planes of AZAL, including new planes to be purchased," he said.
According to the head of Nar Mobile's Corporate Communication Department Nigar Arpadarai, it is possible to use all services of Nar Mobile during AZAL flights, with the exception of the time of taking off and landing of airplanes.
Head of OnAir Sales and Business Development in Northern and Eastern Europe Daniel Froehly says that currently 15 airlines, including Aeroflot, Emirates, Etihad Airways, Qatar Airways and Singapore Airlines, are connected to the service.
Froehly added that according to researches, during flights 47 percent of passengers use text messages, while 42 percent use the internet and 11 percent phone calls.
The mobile service will be available on the altitude of 9,000 meters. Passengers may use mobile devices or smartphones by connecting Azerfon on board. A minibase station receives a signal, which is used by a GSM server on board, and then it is transmitted through a satellite. Currently, the service is available on five planes, however, the number of such planes will reach nine in the summer and 14 by the middle of next year.
Nar Mobile subscribers will use the tariff plan "Nar Air". The price per minute for incoming and outgoing calls on board aircraft will be 2 manats (about $2.50). Sending an SMS will cost 0.50 manats (incoming SMS messages are free). The cost of sending an MMS will be 2.6 manats and that of a one megabyte GPRS - 9 manats.
Mobile communication on board aircraft is currently operated by means of a single ground station in Europe, which is based in Amsterdam.