Better connectivity

PASSENGERS on board Airasia can look forward to an enhanced inflight entertainment and connectivity experience with a recently upgraded Wifi service.

Six planes operated by Airasia Malaysia and two aircraft operated by Airasia Thailand have been equipped with Inmarsat’s high-speed Ka-band platform, GX Aviation.

Airasia Group president (Redbeat Ventures) Aireen Omar said this development is the “next logical step” for the airline.

“As the pioneer of LCC inflight Wifi in the region, we are always looking for ways to redefine the digital inflight experience for our guests,” she said.

Guests would be able to stay connected throughout their journey and perform data-intensive activities, including live streaming.

Ka-band claims to provide connectivity beyond basic broadband, supporting real-time video, music streaming and more.

The Airasia Wifi Internet plans range between RM9 and RM58, with the most basic plan capped at 10MB. There is also the top of the range 200MB plan which is best for streaming.

The service will be rolled out to the rest of the fleet over the next year.

Moving on to connectivity of a different kind, Airasia also recently announced the launch of the exclusive route to Da Lat from Kuala Lumpur, which further boosted the carrier’s presence in Vietnam.

With the introduction of this service, Airasia Malaysia chief executive officer Riad Asmat said Malaysians will have better connectivity to the capital of Lam Dong province.

“As the first international airline to fly to Da Lat, visitors from Malaysia no longer need to drive three hours from Nha Trang or five hours from Ho Chi Minh City to get to this picturesque city,” he said.

The four times weekly service to Da Lat will commence on Dec 20. – Chester Chin