Ryanair has launched an in-flight mobile phone service, which will initially be available on 20, mainly Dublin-based, planes.
The service is being provided with inflight communications company OnAir. Ryanair says it will initially be available to customers of more than 50 mobile operators in Europe, including 02.
However, Vodafone Ireland has said it has decided not to make it available to its customers as it wants to determine demand for the product and is worried about costs for customers.
Ryanair says passengers will be charged non-EU international roaming rates. It says voice calls will generally cost between €2 and €3 a minute, text messages 50 cent and e-mail €1 and €2. But it adds that prices will vary from operator to operator.
Passengers will be able to use the service by switching their phones on when cabin signs indicate that the Mobile OnAir service can be used.
