Lufthansa will grant passengers gate-to-gate use of smartphones, tablets, notebooks and other electronic devices on all Airbus aircraft from March.
The German Federal Aviation Authority (LBA) initially approved gate-to-gate use of all electronic devices in flight mode on the Boeing 747-8 aircraft earlier this year. This will now be expanded to all Airbus jets.
Lufthansa has stated that usage will soon be possible on almost 250 aircraft in its fleet. The German flag carrier is currently seeking LBA approval to implement the same ruling for other aircraft types.
Lufthansa Airbus passengers are offered internet access via the airline’s FlyNet wifi connection service, while mobile services including text messaging, MMS and email will also be available. All services are only available on long-haul flights, and subject to a charge. It costs €10.95 per hour to use the wifi service while a 24-hour pass costs €19.95.
There are, however, some limitations to the service. Mobile telephone calls will still not be permitted during flights out of consideration for other passengers. In addition, flight mode must be activated on all mobile-enabled devices.
For more information, visit www.lufthansa.com
Clement Huang
