Air Canada begins customer trials for inflight internet

First Canadian Airline to Offer Wi-Fi Connectivity in the Air

MONTREAL , Nov. 19 /CNW Telbec/ - Air Canada said today it has begun trials to offer its customers Gogo(R) Inflight Internet service on board select flights on the carrier's Toronto-Los Angeles and Montreal-Los Angeles routes.

"Air Canada is the first Canadian airline to begin offering customers access to the internet while they are flying," said Louise McKenven, Senior Director, Marketing, at Air Canada . "With this service, our customers will be able to email, work and surf the net while flying, and more fully enjoy what is already a superior travel experience that includes complimentary seatback entertainment and access to standard power outlets."

Following the test period which runs until January 29, 2010 , Air Canada will analyze usage and customer feedback before it proceeds with introduction of the service on other routes.

"This initial phase is intended to get our customers' feedback about this exciting new service. The ultimate rollout of our inflight internet service will be finalized pending the outcome of the trial period as well as obtaining the necessary regulatory approvals and the development of ground infrastructure in Canada to provide a domestic network," added Ms. McKenven .

"We are very pleased to launch Gogo on Air Canada , the first Canadian airline to offer Inflight Internet," stated Ron LeMay, Aircell President and CEO. "Air Canada's customers will now feel the freedom of having the world at their fingertips thanks to having full Internet access in flight. We look forward to working with Air Canada to deliver that world to them."

Customers can access the service using their own standard, Wi-Fi equipped laptop at a cost of US $9.95 per flight or Personal Electronic Device (PED) at a cost of US $7.95 per flight.

Initially, the Gogo system will be powered by Aircell's existing network and only available in the continental U.S. in order to make Air Canada's rollout fast, economical and simple. Air Canada intends to extend the system on other routes in North American with the deployment of the Canadian Air-To-Ground (ATG) network. Aircell plans to collaborate with the Canadian ATG licensee in supporting the establishment of a Canadian ATG network and in facilitating the fleet-wide deployment of Air Canada's onboard connectivity service.

    
    About Air Canada
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Montreal-based Air Canada provides scheduled and charter air transportation for passengers and cargo to more than 170 destinations on five continents. Canada's flag carrier is the 13th largest commercial airline in the world and serves 33 million customers annually. Air Canada is a founding member of Star Alliance , providing the world's most comprehensive air transportation network.

    
    About Aircell
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Aircell(R) is the world's leading provider of airborne communications. As winner of an exclusive FCC frequency license in 2006, Aircell has built a revolutionary mobile broadband network for commercial and business aviation. In 2008, the Aircell Network and its inflight portal, Gogo(R), revolutionized the commercial airline passenger flight experience by delivering a robust Internet experience at 35,000 feet. In addition, the Aircell Network provides airlines with connectivity to operations and a path to enhanced cabin services such as video, audio, television and more. A similar feature set is available to Business aircraft operators. Aircell has facilities in Broomfield, Colorado, and Itasca, Illinois. Aircell's vision is to give everyone the ability to stay in touch, in flight(R). For more information about Aircell, please visit www.aircell.com.

    
    About Gogo
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Gogo(R), powered by Aircell, turns a commercial airplane into a Wi-Fi hotspot with true inflight Internet access. Passengers with Wi-Fi enabled devices, such as laptops, smartphones and PDAs, can surf the Web, check e-mail, instant message, access a corporate VPN and more. For more information about Gogo, please visit www.gogoinflight.com. You can also follow 'gogoInflight' on Twitter (www.twitter.com/gogoinflight) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/gogoinflight).

For further information: Isabelle Arthur (Montréal), [phone]; Peter Fitzpatrick (Toronto), [phone]; Angela Mah (Vancouver), [phone]; Internet: aircanada.com; Aircell: Brenda Chroniak, [phone], [email protected]