Air China launches trial for in-flight Wi-Fi  

中国民航空中通讯大突破 飞机上开通互联网服务

Beijing (CNS) -- China's first flight to offer Wi-Fi service took place Wednesday afternoon, representing a breakthrough in the country's airborne communication.

Air China flight CA4108 from Beijing to Chengdu, Sichuan Province, took off at Beijing Capital International Airport at 2:13pm and landed at 4:42 pm, with journalists and aviation officials aboard to test the service.

During the trip Li Jiaxiang, director of the Civil Aviation Administration of China, sent a microblog post and bought two cell phone cases online.

Air China obtained the technology to use in-flight Wi-Fi in 2011 and later upgraded it using satellite communication systems to achieve the connection.

It will support passengers to access Weibo, e-mail and check stock market information with tablets or laptops, according to Air China.

The trial represents a breakthrough in the development of China's airborne communication technology, according to Fan Cheng, an official at Air China.