OnAir and Aviation Center Cologne (ACC) today announced they have reached an agreement for the provision of communication services to the business jet market. Under the agreement, ACC will install the airborne equipment to enable business jet passengers to use their mobile phones and BlackBerry-type devices during flights to make and receive calls, and to exchange emails and text messages. The service will be available to ACC customers from early 2009.

Joachim Taube, CEO of Aviation Center Cologne, said, “Business jet owners and passengers want convenience and part of that is the ability to remain in touch when they are flying. OnAir’s technology enables them to use their own mobile phones and PDAs, just like anywhere on the ground.”

The OnAir service replaces the existing in-seat phones. The key advantages are that it enables passengers to use their own devices to access a wider range of services, including email, SMS and the contact list stored in the phone. It also removes the need for a separate phone number when onboard and instead passengers can be reached on their normal number as if they were on the ground.

OnAir also simplifies operational management because passengers use their own phones and are billed through their home mobile provider, meaning there is no need to invoice aircraft customers separately for their onboard communications. Other airlines that have agreements with OnAir are
AirAsia, AirAsiaX, Jazeera Airlines, Kingfisher Airlines, Oman Air and Royal Jordanian. OnAir also has agreements with Jet Aviation and Airbus Corporate Jetliners.