LOS ANGELES As a first step towards making its CyberCabin concept a reality, Singapore Airlines will begin conducting e-mail trials on board two of its aircraft this November. In connection with these trials, it will download hundreds of thousands of web pages to allow customers to browse through the content using a dedicated server on board.
The tests will make SIA the first airline in the world to offer in-flight e-mail using a satellite-based communications network. Earlier trials conducted by other airlines have been restricted to areas over land, using terrestrial communications systems.
The first trial, using Tenzing Communications Inc s inflight communications services, will commence in late November. A second trial, using Honeywell s Total Aircraft Information System (TAIS), is scheduled for December.
The initiative is in line with SIA s vision of providing connectivity to its customers on the ground and in the air. SIA is investing $200 million over the next two years on developing its CyberCabins, with e-mail and web site access among the fundamental features. (9/21/00)