Connexion by BoeingSM a business unit of The Boeing Company announced recently that it planned to end real-time, high-speed internet service on its aircraft and end the six-year old Connexion venture.
?
Connexion by Boeing is a mobile information services provider delivering real-time, high-speed connectivity to airline passengers, affording them personalized access to the Internet, to their personal and business email accounts (including attachments) and to entertainment content.
?
Connexion by Boeing was twice the recipient of the World Travel Award for World’s Leading High-Speed In-flight Internet Services Provider.
?
El Al was proud to be among some of the first airlines in the world to provide passengers with high-speed in-flight Internet service.
?
In-flight connectivity, the capability of connecting to the world in real time, represented a revolution in service in El Al’s international network and a conceptual change amidst passengers, primarily on long-range flights.
?
The Connexion by Boeing service is provided on flights offered by Lufthansa, SAS, Japan Airlines and ANA.
?
Early last year Boeing said that several other airlines; Singapore Airlines, China Airlines, Korean Air and Asiana had announced their intent to install the Connexion by Boeing system on their long-range aircraft.
?
Most airlines, especially in the US, held off buying the service in the hope that cheaper, cellular network-based Internet services will end up dominating the market.
?
Boeing’s announcement noted that the market had not yet materialized for the service. The company acknowledged it would take a $320 million charge in the second half of 2006.
?
It is understood thatdespite consumer enthusiasm for mid-air Internet access, the $26.95 for an entire long-haul flight for unlimited Internet access and live TV directly to a laptop computer and the $9.95 an hour service($14.95 for 2 hours & $17.95 for 3 hours) was too expensive.
?
It is understood that Korean Air is to sue plane-maker Boeing over the failure of its in-flight broadband venture. According to The Korea Times, Korean Air is suing Boeing for $12m after it had begun to kit out a number of its aircraft to be compatible with the now-defunct service.

P2P