British Airways is creating new conditions to the air travel experience, introducing the ability to make in-flight voice and video calls, utilising new satellite connectivity technology.
This development marks a significant change in the way passengers can stay connected during flights, especially on long-haul routes where until now communication has been limited mainly to messages and basic internet use.
The service is based on high-speed Starlink Wi-Fi, which will offer internet access to all passengers, regardless of seat category, allowing the use of applications such as WhatsApp, FaceTime, Zoom and Teams.
This way, travellers will be able to not only send messages, but also make regular voice calls or even video calls in real time, something that was not allowed on most airlines until now.
This change is part of the general trend of digitalisation of services in the aviation industry, where continuous connectivity is now a key requirement for many passengers, both for professional and personal reasons.
However, the new feature also opens up a debate about how it will affect the in-flight experience, as flying is traditionally considered one of the few places to disconnect from everyday life. For this reason, the company emphasises that the use of the services should be done with discretion, the use of headphones and respect for other passengers.
The introduction of voice and video calling is expected to spark a conversation in the travel industry, as it changes a key unspoken convention of flying, paving the way for a new era of full connectivity in the air.
(Source: timeout.com/uk)
This article first appeared, in Greek, in the most recent edition of Hermes Airports' online newsletter, Flight Mode. Click here to view it.
