Transaero was the first Russian carrier to provide high speed broadband Internet and mobile communication services onboard its aircraft for passengers in August 2012.
Today Transaero offers passengers the opportunity to stay connected whilst flying on 14 of its long-haul aircraft, including nine Boeing 747-400 and five Boeing 777-300 aircraft. In addition to the long-haul aircraft Transaero Connect service is available on two medium-haul Boeing 737 Classic (Imperial and Business jets), which carry out corporate flights.
In 2013 Transaero began installing equipment in order to provide in-flight connectivity services on its Boeing 737NG aircraft. Currently, eight Boeing 737-700 and Boeing 737-800 have been equipped with wireless connection and two more Boeing 737NG aircraft are undergoing the installation process. The airline will be able to significantly expand its In-flight Connectivity offering in the near future.
Transaero’s aircraft are equipped with the most advanced high-speed in-flight Internet access system currently available, Ku-Band, based on satellite technologies and provided by Panasonic GSC (on Boeing 747 and Boeing 777 long-haul aircraft) and Row44 (on Boeing 737-700/800, and on Boeing 767-300) systems. Ku-band technology allows passengers to gain internet access to check e-mail, view Web pages and use social media. Ku-band system uses an 11.7-14.5 GHz frequency spectrum and enables data transmission with 5 Мb/s speed.
Transaero offers its clients the highest speed of in-flight Internet connectivity among Russian carriers, at the most competitive price in the Russian market. Connection to high-speed internet on long-haul flights costs RUB 800 for the duration of the flight, or RUB 400 per hour. Passengers on medium-haul flights, on Boeing 737NG, pay RUB 600 for all-flight internet connection or RUB 300 per hour.
In 2013 more than 3,000 passengers used in-flight Internet services while travelling with Transaero. The highest demand was recorded on the routes from Moscow to New York, Miami, Punta Cana, Male, and Tenerife as well as to cities in Russia’s Far East.
Mobile communication services also proved to be popular. The number of phone calls during flights reached 28,500. SMS services were the most popular among passengers: 900,000 messages were sent and received on Transaero flights in 2013.
Transaero will continue to enhance its customer services and will carry on developing Transaero Connect programme. This year the airline will install satellite equipment on its long-haul Boeing 777-200 and Boeing 767-300 aircraft.
