In-flight Wi-Fi now seen as vital service

The three Asia Pacific airlines with the highest customer expectations of high quality in-flight Wi-Fi are all from China - Air China, China Eastern Airlines and China Southern Airlines.

A report released last month by Inmarsat, a London-based leading provider of global satellite communication services, said these airlines would lead the industry as they recognize the value of making in-flight broadband available to passengers, who are increasingly seeing it as a necessity and a major factor when choosing an airline.

Otto Gergye, vice-president of Inmarsat Aviation Asia-Pacific, said: "In fact, those three airlines have already offered free in-flight Wi-Fi for some of their flights. The in-flight connectivity sector in China is expected to pick up given the demand from Chinese passengers."