German airline Deutsche Lufthansa AG has signed a pact with British Telecommunications Plc for the latter to supply satellite phone equipment for Lufthansa’s medium- and long-haul aircraft: the phones will be installed initially in Airbus A300-600 and A310 aircraft this spring and long-haul Boeing 747-400 and Airbus 340 aircraft will be fitted with them by winter; Telecom will supply both the airborne and terrestrial equipment; passengers flying first and business class will have one phone per double seat and two for rows of three seats; four satellite phones will be wall-mounted in economy class; passengers will be able to use credit cards to pay for the service which is expected to be expanded to include facsimile too.
