Pilot flight for Internet on Air China

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Passengers on Chinese airlines will be able to access the Internet in the near future, industry insiders said, after the first Chinese flight offering Web service landed in Chengdu, Sichuan province, on Wednesday afternoon.

"By the end of next year, most of our wide-body passenger jets will have been refitted and equipped with access to the Internet, and many of our passengers will be able to enjoy this service," Fan Cheng, a senior Air China executive, said on board the flight from Beijing to Chengdu.

Journalists and VIPs invited by the company experienced the service, which was based on satellite telecommunications technology, allowing the sending of e-mail and browsing the latest news online.

Li Jiaxiang, director of the Civil Aviation Administration of China, sent an "extra-high altitude" micro blog post from on board the aircraft.

"Hello everyone. I am Li Jiaxiang, director of CAAC. I am using the micro blog on board an Air China jetliner, and the inflight Internet service is pretty good," Li wrote on Air China's Sina Weibo account, which showed the post was sent from an altitude of 11,460 meters.

Li also bought two iPhone cases on the online platform using his Air China membership points.

Globally, a host of big airlines, including Lufthansa, Emirates and Virgin Atlantic, have opened in-flight Internet services.

Once the service becomes available to ordinary passengers, they will be able to browse a selected set of news portals on board the company's aircraft with their laptops or tablet computers, said Zhang Yun, manager of Air China's in-flight Internet project.

However, mobile phones will not be included in the system because they have too many signal emissions that can substantially affect the electronic systems on an aircraft, Zhang said, noting that the company has been exploring techniques that will enable mobile phones to operate on board.

Air China began developing its in-flight Internet system in early 2011, according to Zhang. He said the system passed CAAC safety and airborne compatibility tests, and the safety of the aircraft will not be compromised if the in-flight Internet system is hacked, although the possibility of that is "very slim". The service will begin only after the jetliner is at an altitude of more than 3,000 meters, so it will not be available during takeoff and landing, Zhang said.

The current narrowband access can allow up to 80 passengers to use the Internet simultaneously, he added.

Passengers said they are looking forward to the service.

"I noticed some people sitting in the front seats were updating their micro blogs and I hope I can use this service as soon as possible," said Guo Chao, a Beijing white-collar worker on board the flight. "But I want to know whether I can use it for free or have to pay."

Zhang said, "As far as I know, we don't have plans to charge passengers for this service, but what comes next depends on its development."

Questions:

1. What was tested on a recent Air China flight?

2. When will the service be available to passengers?

3. How many people can use the service at one time?

Answers:

1. In-flight Internet service.

2. By the end of next year.

3. Up to 80 passengers can use the Internet simultaneously.

About the broadcaster:

Nelly Min is an editor at China Daily with more than 10 years of experience as a newspaper editor and photographer. She has worked at major newspapers in the U.S., including the Los Angeles Times and the Detroit Free Press. She is also fluent in Korean.