Passengers on board Croatia Airlines’ new Airbus A220 planes coming on stream will soon be able to surf the web while flying to their destination.
Each seat will also feature USB ports, and holders for mobiles and tablets.
Croatia’s national carrier has ordered 15 A220 models from the world’s largest aircraft manufacturer, the first earmarked for service by this June. Factory-fit on-board connectivity will be integral to the new planes.
Croatia Airlines expects to take delivery of the last of the current batch by 2027. The company has opted for Panasonic Avionic’s Ku-band geostationary (GEO) satellite-based IFC solution, in line with 70 of the world’s leading airlines.
European Airbus is currently seeing a rush of new orders given the much-publicised troubles at its nearest competitors, America’s Boeing.
Jasmin Bajić, CEO at Croatia Airlines said: “We are thrilled to announce the introduction of on-board connectivity for the first time in our 35-year history, coinciding with the arrival of the A220 aircraft. This agreement with Panasonic Avionics aligns with our mission to enhance the in-flight passenger experience and deliver top quality connectivity to our valued customers”.
It is not yet clear whether passengers will have to pay to use the Wi-Fi service.