Etihad Airways today reached a major milestone with the deployment of mobile and internet connectivity across its entire fleet of 24 Boeing 777 passenger aircraft, making it easier for guests to stay in touch with friends, family and work while in the air.

This milestone comes only months before the airline’s entire fleet of 89 passenger aircraft is connected, which will make Etihad Airways the first in the region and one of the few airlines in the world, to offer mobile and internet connectivity services on every aircraft.

The passenger fleet includes 28 Airbus A320s, 26 A330s, 11 A340s and 24 Boeing 777 family aircraft.

The full suite of in-flight connectivity services on the fleet includes Wi-Fi, mobile services and Live TV.

The services combine the “Etihad Wi-Fly” solution, powered by the Panasonic Avionics Global Communications Suite, and OnAir’s in-flight connectivity solution.

Peter Baumgartner, Etihad Airways chief commercial officer, said: “We are a global market leader in terms of onboard connectivity solutions.

“We believe that onboard connectivity is an important competitive differentiator for our guests and are continuously introducing new communications technology to enhance their travel experience.

“The roll out of our state-of-the-art connectivity solution will give our modern connected guests a seamless, robust experience at 35,000 feet, similar to what they expect at home or work.”

Guests will be able to enjoy high-speed broadband services on Wi-Fi enabled devices including smartphones, tablets and laptops, allowing them to surf the internet, update social media, purchase gifts, upgrade seats, change travel plans and much more, all from the comfort of their seat.

The mobile connectivity service can be accessed by guests using their mobile phones and smartphones to make and receive phone-calls, send and receive text messages and emails, and use mobile data services.

Packages to access the internet start at US$5 and can be purchased using credit cards, PayPal and a range of other convenient payment methods.

Mobile telephone usage will be billed by the guest’s mobile service providers based on the international roaming rates levied by the service providers.

Etihad Airways’ Boeing 777 aircraft are used for long-haul destinations across the airline’s network, such as Los Angeles, Washington DC, London, Manchester, Dublin, Düsseldorf, Paris, Sydney, Melbourne, São Paulo, Bangkok and Jakarta.