Boeing

All Nippon Airways (ANA) and Boeing (NYSE:BA) today announced the signing of a letter of intent signaling the air carrier's plan to install the Connexion by Boeing^SM mobile Internet service on its long-haul commercial aircraft.

Commenting on the announcement during the World Airline Entertainment Association conference in Seattle, Connexion by Boeing President Scott Carson applauded ANA for its commitment to passenger services that add value for airline passengers as well as for the airline's operations.

"ANA has consistently demonstrated leadership in bringing passenger-facing amenities to its passengers and by making prudent, value-added business decisions," said Carson. "This agreement will help fulfill a highly requested passenger need and also provide enhanced communications and revenue opportunities for their airline operations."

"In choosing Connexion by Boeing, ANA has chosen an innovative technology solution that we believe will best meet our customers' expectations and needs for in-flight communications," said Shinichiro Ito, Senior Vice President for Marketing. "We look forward to bringing the benefits of real-time connectivity to our passengers in the very near future."

Members of the ANA and Connexion by Boeing teams are working closely to define the levels of services that will be offered and an installation schedule as part of finalizing the service agreement that will pave the way for the broadband communication service to be installed on the ANA fleet of long-haul aircraft. Financial terms of the arrangement were not disclosed.

Boeing has a strong history of cooperation with airlines in the Asia Pacific region and this year is celebrating the golden anniversary of its operations in Japan, while ANA last year also marked its 50th year of service. For the past five decades, Boeing has witnessed and participated in ANA's transformation to one of the world's leading airlines.