Connexion will enable airlines to offer high-speed Internet access to passengers.

The Federal Communications Commission on Thursday granted Boeing a license to provide high-speed Internet service to airline passengers.

Boeing said the FCC approval clears the way for its planned in-flight Internet service, called Connexion by Boeing, which will enable airlines and other commercial jet operators to offer real-time, high-speed Internet and intranet access, television, and email above US territory and waters.

Last June, Boeing announced that AMR's American Airlines, UAL's United Airlines, and Delta Air Lines would help fund Connexion's development.

But in November, Boeing said the three US airlines had canceled plans to invest in the high-speed airborne Internet service, citing concerns in the wake of the September 11 hijack attacks on New York and the Pentagon.

Boeing still plans to install and test Connexion on jetliners at its European launch customer, Deutsche Lufthansa, in late 2002 or early 2003.

The company said tests it conducted showed the Connexion service can operate without causing interference to other spectrum users.

The satellite-based system is one of several Boeing ventures to diversify the company and ease its reliance on its world-leading commercial jet business, which rises and falls with the cyclical fortunes of the airline industry.

The service also will give airlines in-flight access to aircraft and crew data, Boeing said.

"This license signals a new era for in-flight connectivity and further strengthens our efforts in the mobile economy," said Connexion President Scott Carson. "For the first time in history air travelers will be able to experience real-time, in-flight connectivity comparable to the speeds and quality of service they expect on the ground."