Kingfisher in talks with OnAir to offer GSM

Vijay Mallya-promoted Kingfisher Airlines is in talks with German telephone equipment company, OnAir, to install technology on board to allow passengers to use GSM mobile phone inflight. At present, passengers are not allowed to use mobile phones onboard.

OnAir is the GSM equipment major which is current testing its service allowing mobile phone calls at normal roaming rate in planes of the UK-based airline Ryanair. Dubai-based airline Emirates is also planning to install a technology to use GSM mobile phones onboard.

Sources close to the development said Kingfisher Airlines is in advanced stage of negotiation with OnAir.

"OnAir will install antenna and couple of black boxes which will decode the signals with the help of satellite. The GSM mobile facility in Kingfisher Airlines is expected to be ready by second quarter of next fiscal," they added.

Meanwhile, Kingfisher Airlines has tied up with Essel Group promoted DTH player dishtv to provide live television experience onboard every Kingfisher Airlines. Currenlty, US-based JetBlue is the only airline which is having live television onboard.

"Passenger of Kingfisher Airlines can now watch World Cup Cricket onboard. The first aircraft empowered by dishtv with the live television service will be ready to take off by end of December 2006," Vijay Mallya, chairman and CEO of Kingfisher Airlines, said.

Essel Group chairman Subash Chandra said with this alliance, dishtv will now Kingfisher Airlines' television venture with 16 live channels from its platform.

This television will also have five channels of the popular broadcasted video content and one moving map channel.

Jawahar Goel, additional vice-chairman, Essel Group, said dishtv is also planning to provide television in mobile phones and cars and buses by February 2007.