Jio has announced their ability to offer in-flight connectivity packs starting at INR 499, which will allow Jio customers to sign up for high-speed data access as well as voice calling and SMS message benefits for inflight communications. While there were new Jio Postpaid Plus plans announced earlier this week, there was no information about in-flight connectivity support they promised the subscribers. To power this, Jio has partnered with AeroMobile, a subsidiary of Panasonic Avionics Corporation which specialises in cellular-based connectivity.
The Jio inflight connectivity packs will be offered at INR 499, INR 699, and INR 999 denominations and all have one-day validity. These packs were revealed today on the Jio website.
Jio Inflight connectivity partner airlines
Jio will de-activate incoming calls on the in-flight connectivity packs, though incoming SMS messages are allowed and are free. Jio’s connectivity will be available on 22 airlines which are on board with Aeromobile at the moment and could change in the future. The airlines included are enlisted below (along with the routes on which Aeromobile services are activated). The ones who service India are also indicated, such as Emirates and Etihad. About 10 of the 22 airlines onboard Aeromobile don’t serve India altogether.
Once the services are available in the Indian airspace, all Jio customers will have first access to them, so that they are connected even on flights within India (once any Indian airline agrees to offer connectivity on domestic flights, that is). As per the Aeromobile website, Bharti India (Airtel) is already a partner.
How to connect to Aeromobile
Connecting to AeroMobile’s inflight service is quick and easy. Take your phone out of ‘Airplane Mode’ when the aircraft is above 20,000ft, and if your home mobile operator has a roaming agreement with AeroMobile, you’ll connect automatically. No onboard payment or registration required as you’re billed by your home operator for any usage inflight.
https://youtu.be/Jd3yspIHBYo
Bottomline
Jio has undoubtedly made it easy to buy internet connectivity on international flights, and also not break the bank while doing so in the future. But this will not be a daily use case in the immediate future and not useful for the domestic flying passengers anytime soon. However, it does give them a first-mover advantage to cater to the high-end business traveller market and get them to buy a new Jio connection or port to Jio.
What do you make of the new Jio partnership with AeroMobile to enable onboard connectivity planes for their customers?
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I may be mistaken (since I have never used it), however, didn’t Airtel seem to have this connectivity for ages. Albeit prohibitively expensive to dissuade any reasonable person to even test it.
@PB at least on the AeroMobile website they are listed as a partner, so yes, they are partners. But I could not find any pricing details or any person who would have used it. But will update to mention it.
Thanks for the response Ajay. I came across an old article from 2009.
– “Airtel has entered into an agreement with an inflight solutions firm,an outgoing call will cost Rs 188 per minute while it will be Rs 24 per minute for incoming calls.
Passengers will be charged Rs 41 for an outgoing SMS while incoming SMSs will be free Airtel will be the first Indian telco to offer this facility to its customers.”
https://telecomtalk.info/airtel-aeromobile-service/4107/
It is important to note that even for the airlines that are on the service list and flying to India there may not be a connectivity option on the flight. Biman flies 738s and DH4 aircraft to India, for example, while only its 787s are equipped. Virgin Atlantic is in a similar situation with just a handful of the planes in its fleet carrying the service, none of which are currently scheduled into India.
The pricing is very much better with a package than at the default AeroMobile roaming rates. But not necessarily better than wifi rates in board, depending on consumption patterns. And the package expires after 24 hours so a passenger will likely need to buy two for a return trip.