Ryanair has mobility in its sights

Ryanair is struggling to stay out of the news at the moment – and the latest Daily No-Frills Industry Update sees the carrier unveiling a plan to allow mobile calls on some of its aircraft.

Mobile and Blackberry-wielding passengers will be able to send texts, emails and chat if they are travelling on one of Ryanair’s fleet of Boeing 737s.

Of course there will be a small fee for the privilege – OnAir, the company behind the technology, will charge users a “rate which will mirror international roaming charges”.

The first 50 aircraft will be fitted with the technology by the middle of 2007, with the remainder of Ryanair’s fleet online from early 2008 onwards.

In a press release, Ryanair’s outspoken boss, Michael O’Leary, gushed that passengers “will be able to pass on the good news to workmates, friends and family that they are travelling on another on-time flight with Europe’s most punctual airline”.

Quite.

Luckily for Ryanair the Department of Transport in the UK has since removed the ban on mobile phones in hand luggage, following the alleged plots to blow up aircraft on trans-Atlantic routes.

[Ryanair and its Churchillian approach to terror]

Kevin May, editor, Travolution