The full launch of the service, simply titled “In-Flight Connectivity,” follows a soft launch earlier this year on a limited number of aircraft. The In-Flight Connectivity service is now available on 14 aircraft in Singapore Airlines’ fleet, including all five of its Airbus A340-500s deployed on its longest non-stop routes between Singapore and both Newark and Los Angeles. Singapore Airline also extended the service to markets in which it had not previously obtained regulatory approvals, such as Australia.

   “As our customers’ preferences towards entertainment and connectivity options change over time, so must we,” Singapore Airlines Senior Vice President of Products and Services Tan Pee Teck said in a statement. “Mobile and Internet connectivity capabilities are just the start, enabling our customers to stay connected even when flying at 35,000ft. There will be much more investment in the months and years ahead to keep our customers both connected and entertained.”

   The Singapore Airlines in-flight service push began with the formation of its partnership connectivity provider OnAir, which will progressively roll the service out across all of the airlines’ long haul Airbus A380-800, A340-500 and Boeing 777-300ER aircraft during the next two years.

   OnAir selected GSM and Wi-Fi technology from Aeroconseil in April 2011 to begin installing the solutions on Singapore Airlines’ fleet. Aeroconseil provides engineering and certification for the installation. OnAir also leverages Inmarsat broadband services for the connectivity offering.

   “A seamless transition is growing between how we stay in touch in a taxi, on the train, at the airport and on the plane. As OnAir’s customer base expands to help airlines meet those passenger demands, we will continue to partner with expert specialists such as Aeroconseil. The new technology is being installed thanks to Aeroconseil’s acknowledged expertise, particularly in the design and certification of such systems,” OnAir CEO Ian Dawkins said in a statement.

   Singapore Airlines also is launching a joint promotion with SingTel to give SingTel subscribers discounted roaming rates of up to 40 percent for in-flight text messaging and GPRS data services. The discounted roaming rates will last until the end of March 2013.