Ryanair Considering Free In-Flight Wi-Fi For Business Travellers

Low-cost airline Ryanair is set to continue its push to attract more business travellers by offering free Wi-Fi on selected routes.

Since last year the company has offered flexible business tickets for those put off by its aggressive no-frills service and believes that the ability to check e-mails in the sky could be key to boosting passenger numbers.

Ryanair Wi-Fi

Ryanair Chief Technology Officer (CTO) told Reuters that the service could be free and funded by adverts from businesses located in the destination city. An in-flight entertainment service that would stream video content to passengers’ smartphones and tablets on routes to holiday destinations could also be offered.

It is unclear whether full browsing would be possible however and whether passengers could pay an additional fee for a faster, fully functioning connection.

Air travel has long been considered the final refuge of those wishing to avoid phone calls, text messages and the Internet, but this sanctuary is slowly being eroded as more airlines offer in-flight Wi-Fi.

A number of US carriers and Australia’s Qantas have offered connections for some time, while British Airways is set to offer Internet to passengers through a new S-band satellite called Europsat, which will go live in 2016 with the intent of serving the European aviation market.

Virgin Atlantic already offers high speed connectivity on some transatlantic flights from Europe after the Branson-branded airline agreed a deal with Gogo late last year.

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