iOS in-flight use takes off, Android still grounded

Recent research by UK-based IFE Services found that 82% of airline passengers have their smartphones with them during flights, 38% take a laptop and 37% a tablet.

Consequently, in-flight wi-fi demand has also increased, with most passengers expecting the service to be standard within the next few years. According to IFE Services, 3,194 aircraft were fitted with in-flight wi-fi at the end of 2012 and, by the end of 2015, it is estimated that $1.5 billion will be spent by passengers on in-flight connectivity services.

New research from in-flight wi-fi provider Gogo reveals that one device is used far more than any other to connect using their service - Apple's iOS.

"If you look only at the smartphones our customers are using, the iPhone makes up 73% and all Android devices make up 26%, with Blackberry and Windows based devices each making up less than 1% of devices being used in air," says Gogo in a recent announcement.

Overall, iOS devices were found to account for 84% of all in-flight wi-fi traffic from mobile devices on Gogo's service. Fifty-nine percent of passengers connect using the iPad, 36% using the iPhone and 5% using the iPod touch.

Tags: air travel, airline passengers, Android, in-flight, iOS, mobile, smartphone, travel trends, wi-fi