Qantas Airways Ltd. in early 2007 will trial the AeroMobile connectivity solution that lets passengers send and receive e-mails, SMS (short message service) messages, and phone calls inflight using their GSM personal mobile phones or personal electronic devices such as Blackberrys.

The three-month trial will use the installed Panasonic Avionics Corporation IFE platform and Australian telecom company Telstra onboard a Boeing 767 aircraft flying domestic Australian routes.

Inflight Cell-Phone/E-mail The AeroMobile system lets customers with a GSM cell-phone and a global
roaming account send and receive voice calls and SMS. Customers need a GPRS (General Packet Radio Service)-enabled device such as a Blackberry or an appropriately equipped laptop computer to send and receive e-mails.

The airline will actively seek customer feedback to further refine its policy, including input on protocols concerning use of mobile phones inflight, Lesley Grant, Qantas Group General Manager of Customer Product and Services, said.

Qantas’ research indicates that the overwhelming majority of customers think inflight connectivity,“particularly e-mail access, is a good idea.This evaluation is the first step toward building a product that will support our customers’ business and communication needs into the future,” Grant said.

Regulatory Approval Qantas and its partners are working with the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA),Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), and other agencies to ensure the system operates in accordance with Australian regulatory and legal requirements.