Up above the world so high, wi-fi

China Eastern Airlines charts a new course

As the first Chinese carrier to offer in-flight internet access, China Eastern Airlines Corp Ltd is poised to commercialize the service in its wide-bodied aircraft next year once they get the nod from aviation authorities, a senior manager from the Shanghai-based carrier said.

"Since launching the commercial test on in-flight Wi-Fi last November, China Eastern Airlines has brought Wi-Fi connectivity to 43 aircraft, and the figure is expected to reach 54 by the year's end, which will exceed the total number of all Wi-Fi installed planes in the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan currently," said Zhang Chi, deputy director of China Eastern Airlines' transformation office.