When Boeing launched its Connexion service in 2004, Lufthansa was one of the first supporters of mobile Internet above the clouds and it was quite a sad day when Boeing canceled it again in 2006. However, Lufthansa never removed the hardware from its aircrafts and therefore, and thanks to Lufthansa's new partner Panasonic Avionics Corporation, soon Lufthansa passengers can surf the net above the clouds again. The relaunch of the FlyNet Internet broadband service will bring communications freedom into the aircraft cabin on Lufthansa long-haul flights in the coming year.

Easy-to-use, the system, which will provide onboard WLAN, GSM and GPRS connectivity of 5 - 50 Mbps with a satellite connection per user of up to 1 Mbps, will allow passengers to utilize the Internet in-flight as they would at a public hotspot - with WLAN access, sending E-Mails with attachments or an SMS from a mobile phone and synchronization of smartphones and PDAs. Convenient communications will soon be included among other onboard amenities.

FlyNet will be available to all passengers in the cabin - be they in First, Business Class or Economy. It will be installed in stages, worldwide, on all Lufthansa long-haul routes. Rates will differ - from time-based to flat rate - allowing passengers to use this welcome extra in the cabin, as their needs dictate. Lufthansa is the world's first airline to offer this satellite based system equipped with high transmission capacity on flights in its global network.

The commercial relaunch of Lufthansa's FlyNet is planned for anytime 2010.

Cheers ~ Arne