The Asia Pacific region is the world’s fastest-growing aviation market, and in recent years it saw rapid development in in-flight connectivity, but there’s still work to do.

While the concept and implementation of in-flight connectivity is still in its infancy in the region, airlines are quickly moving it up on the customer service priority list.

Last year, market intelligence firm Valour Consultancy predicted in the Asia Pacific region the number of connected aircraft will increase from 333 in 2015 to 5,193 by 2025.

The implementation and improvement of onboard WiFi faces unique challenges in Asia Pacific, in that passenger expectations vary significantly throughout the region.

Passengers in advanced Asian markets, such as Korea and Japan, expect the same high-speed connectivity in the air they have on the ground. Business travellers in particular expect to be able to work with a seamless connection for the entire flight. According to a survey by Inmarsat, 67 per cent of passengers in the region regard in-flight connectivity as an expectation rather than a novelty.

On the other hand, leisure travellers rely more heavily on social media channel accessibility. Southeast Asia has some of the highest social media use rates in the world, but the preferred platforms vary significantly in each market. For example, in China, Facebook is blocked and the most popular online hangouts include Tencent QQ and Sina Weibo, while Australia and New Zealand are more similar to Europe and North America in terms of social media culture.

Another challenge facing Asia Pacific carriers is the regulatory environment. Unlike other parts of the world, there is no single regulatory body in Asia Pacific, and there are large variations in technological sophistication between one flight point and another.

Despite these challenges, airlines need to continue improving in-flight connectivity, as more passengers demand consistent connection in the air.