Are you upset that you cannot call someone dear to you or send email to your business partner while flying? You don’t have to be, from April, 2008. Kingfisher Airlines will offer you inflight communication services on board eight months from now.

You can make and receive calls on personal mobile phones, exchange mobile text messages and also use internet on your own laptop. The full-service carrier of United Breweries boss Vijay Mallya on Wednesday signed an agreement with service provider OnAir at the ongoing Asian Aerospace in Hong Kong in this regard.

Disclosing this to Deccan Herald, Kingfisher Vice President [Engineering and Maintenance] Hitesh Patel, said the airline would introduce this on the widebodied Airbus aircraft that would be inducted from April, next year. He stated, “We are the leaders in technology and we continue to bring tomorrow’s technology to our guest  travellers.  We are maintaining our lead over our competitors with this.”

At present, passengers are asked to switch off their mobile phones in-flight on the assumption that telecom signals may interfere with the plane’s navigational tools.  Kingfisher’s widebodied aircraft which will be pressed  into service from April onwards will be delivered fitted with the latest technology offering.

Speaking from Dubai, Mr Patel said the airline was in discussion with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation seeking permission to install the system.