JAL becomes first airline to offer Wi-Fi to passengers onboard domestic aircraft in Japan.
ITASCA – Gogo (NASDAQ: GOGO), a leading global aero communications service provider announced that its inflight Internet service is now live onboard Japan Airlines. The first aircraft to provide Wi-Fi service to JAL passengers took flight. Gogo Wi-Fi service is now available on three 777-200 SKY NEXT aircraft.
The launch of service comes just more than 8 months after Gogo announced it had reached a contract with JAL to provide in-flight Internet service on JAL’s entire domestic fleet, which consists of 77 aircraft.
“This is a major milestone for Gogo as this aircraft represents the first commercial airline outside of North America to be connected with Gogo’s connectivity service,” said Michael Small, Gogo’s president and CEO. “When we set out to connect JAL’s domestic fleet last fall, we had a goal of delivering the first connected aircraft by the summer of 2014. We are happy to deliver on that promise and successfully connect the first domestic aircraft in Japan.”
Gogo currently holds Supplemental Type Certificates (STC’s) from the FAA and certificates from the Japanese Civil Aviation Bureau to install connectivity service on all aircraft types in JAL’s domestic service and will begin expanding connectivity service on the rest of JAL’s fleet. STC’s have been acquired for JAL Boeing 737-800, 767-300,777-200 and 777-300 aircraft.
“JAL is continually striving to bring passengers a unique and completely refreshing onboard experience and being the first Japanese airline to offer our passengers Internet access on domestic flights is part of that experience,” said Yoshiharu Ueki, JAL’s president. “We look forward to working with Gogo to expand that service fleet-wide.”
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