Mile high text for British Airways' business fliers

British Airways is to launch an in-flight SMS and email service for business travellers flying between London and New York.

Passengers on a twice daily, all business-class route from London City Airport to New York City's JFK Airport set to launch this autumn will be able to send texts and emails from their mobile phones, as well as surfing the mobile web. Laptop-wielding travellers with GSM data cards will also be able to get internet access on the flights.

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A spokesman for BA said it is installing an in-flight mobile comms system from OnAir into the two new aircrafts that will serve the route.

OnAir's system supports voice but the BA spokesman told silicon.com the airline will not be switching it on. He added it may consider trialling voice on outbound daytime flights to gauge customer interest but voice calls on overnight 'sleeper' flights back from New York are unlikely to ever be offered to avoid irritating other passengers.

Since December 2007, mobile OnAir services have been used on flights to more than 54 cities in 25 countries in Europe and the Middle East, the company said. The system works by establishing an air-to-ground satellite link via Inmarsat fourth generation satellites.