Travelers on Air China's Boeing aircraft may enjoy high-speed Internet access before the year 2008, according to sources with China's flagship airline.

Air China have signed an agreement with Connexion by BoeingSM, a business unit of The Boeing Company, to install its 15 "747-400" airplanes, and others to be confirmed, with real-time, high-speed web services.

The installation will start in October this year, and is expected to be completed before the 2008 Olympic Games.

Business and leisure travelers will be able to use their laptops to send and receive e-mails, connect to corporate networks, or simply surf the web to watch the Olympic Games at speeds that are comparable to a modern home or office.

The service will be available on Air China's major routes linking China with North America, Europe, the Middle East and the whole Asia-Pacific area, said an Air China spokesman.

Lianne Stein, vice president of Connexion by Boeing's civil aviation branch, said that the company was delighted with their agreement with Air China and promised to offer a high-quality, in-flight online service to travelers on board.

Air China's vice president Ma Kuiliang expressed his belief that the new service would upgrade Air China's service and assist communications between the air crew and the logistics and service departments on the ground.

With its headquarters in Beijing, Air China has extended its air routes to most of China's major cities and many overseas countries. Currently, Air China has 160 airplanes flying to 72 domestic and 36 international terminals.

Connexion by Boeing entered commercial service with Germany's national carrier Lufthansa on May 17, 2004.

Since then, other carriers from around the world have joined the Connexion: All Nippon Airways, Asiana, EI AI, Japan Airlines, Korean Airlines, Scandinavian Airlines and Singapore Airlines have chosen the Connexion by Boeing system for their long-haul fleets.

Source: Xinhua