PAL, Cebu Pacific to offer mobile, wi-fi services onboard

Both legacy carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) and budget airline Cebu Pacific Air will soon offer mobile and wi-fi services on board its flights according to a Rappler report.

Both companies have tied up with OnAir, a global inflight connectivity service company, which will provide the said services on long-haul flights of PAL and Cebu Pacific.

Cebu Pacific first announced these plans July of last year and will be first installed in its A330 aircraft catering flights to the Middle East, Australia, and eventually Europe and the US.

PAL, on the other hand, will install OnAir’s technology to its Airbus A330-343s and Boeing B777-300ERs for their Asia Pacific, Australasia and North American flights.

OnAir will ensure connectivity during flights with its coverage backed by its roaming deals with 350 mobile network operators and uses Inmarsat’s SwiftBroadband network for worldwide satellite coverage.

This is certainly an upgrade to the current Philippine Internet service setup. Will it soon come to domestic flights as well? We’re not sure yet but I hope local airports will offer wi-fi services soon.