Tuesday, March 19, 2024 | Ramadan 8, 1445 H
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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

Inflight Wi-Fi is not luxury, says Middle East passengers

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60% passengers believe inflight Wi-Fi is a necessity not a luxury


56% passengers say quality inflight Wi-Fi more important


Inflight broadband is changing the airline industry and revolutionizing passengers’ expectations of the onboard experience. That is the conclusion from the third annual global Inflight Connectivity Survey, published today by Inmarsat, the leading provider of global mobile satellite communications, in association with market research company GfK.


Overwhelmingly, passengers now expect the same levels of connectivity and access to online services whilst they are at 30,000 feet as they receive on the ground. As such, 60 per cent of all passengers say that inflight Wi-Fi is now a necessity rather than a luxury. Over half (56 per cent) of passengers in the Middle East who have experienced high-quality inflight Wi-Fi rate it higher on their list of priorities than inflight


entertainment when choosing an airline.


With airlines in every market racing to install or upgrade their Wi-Fi offering, passengers will have a choice to opt for an airline that offers high-quality broadband, and will soon turn their back on airlines not offering this. Over a third of Middle Eastern respondents (36 per cent) said they would stop using their preferred airline within the next year if it did not offer connectivity enabling them to


stream or browse online without interruption.


The ability to connect to personal devices such as smartphones, laptops and tablets now sits within the top three considerations when choosing an airline, behind ticket price and airline brand for 46 per cent of Middle Eastern passengers who have experienced high-quality inflight Wi-Fi.


What’s more, the ability to remain online and work during a flight is greatly improving passenger experience, according to more than half (56 per cent) of all business travellers who have previously used inflight Wi-Fi.


The survey reflects the responses of 9,000 airline passengers from 18 countries across Europe, the Middle East, Asia Pacific, and North and Latin America, and is


the largest global passenger survey of its kind.


Ben Griffin, Vice President, Middle East, Africa and South Asia at Inmarsat Aviation, said: “High-quality inflight Wi-Fi is changing the way people think about flying and how they spend their time in the air. Whether using the time to work, to connect with friends and family, or to pass time shopping or viewing entertainment, the availability of inflight broadband has become a major factor when choosing an airline.”


He said, “The annual Inflight Connectivity Survey has become a barometer for passenger sentiment. This year’s survey reveals that 60 per cent of passengers believe that inflight Wi-Fi is a necessity and no longer a luxury. This will only increase as more people experience inflight connectivity. It is clear the opportunity that connectivity presents to airlines cannot be underestimated.”


Middle East Survey Highlights


* 81% of Middle Eastern passengers would pay for inflight connectivity even on


short-haul leisure flights, rising to 85% for long-haul business flights


* 59% of Middle Eastern passengers agree that inflight Wi-Fi takes the anxiety


out of flying because they can stay in contact with people on the ground


* 36% of passengers in the Middle East said they would stop using their


preferred airline within the next year if they only offered poor quality Wi-Fi


* Business flyers in the Middle East use Wi-Fi for both work and non-work


reasons: 29% browse the web, 37% use social networks, 43% email and 20% use


business tools


* Leisure flyers love the freedom to use a variety of devices as they wish. The


Middle East has the highest volume of multi-device usage in all regions surveyed,


with 66% of inflight connectivity users connecting more than one device.


* 51% of Middle Eastern passengers would take advantage of the ability to


purchase items from the plane and collect them on arrival at the airport


* 27% of respondents in the region would choose to have inflight purchases


delivered to their home


 


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