While many of us may cherish the peace that comes from being ‘offline’ while flying, this may soon be coming to an end. Airlines, like the rest of the world, are rapidly embracing the latest in technology, which in some cases already means that passengers can enjoy in-flight WiFi and other luxuries.

In the US, for example, Delta Airlines has successfully partnered with Gogo Inflight Internet to provide connectivity. Gogo uses a special 3G technology called Air To Ground (ATG) that utilises towers on land. Back home, in-flight internet access relies on satellite connectivity that is far more expensive than ATG. This hasn’t deterred Mango, SAA’s budget carrier, however, which started offering in-flight WiFi from May this year, according to Hein Kaiser, Mango’s communication manager.