Piaggio Aero Signs with Aircell

Piaggio Aero will offer two broadband communication options from Aircell, Louisville, Colo., aboard its P.180 Avanti II. The packages will give P.180 customers the choice of U.S. or global in-flight connectivity for email and web. Aircell said the announcement is the first broadband system selection by a major business aviation OEM since Aircell began taking orders a month ago. The system will be operational by the third quarter 2009, the company said. The two options are Aircell Broadband, which provides mobile broadband services to aircraft flying over the United States, and SwiftBroadband, which offers global connectivity.