Vijay Mallya’s Kingfisher Airlines intends to offer web based e-mail and instant messaging services to passengers on its long distance flights starting in 2008 and follow it up a year later with Internet access and mobile phone services.

Kingfisher has picked aircraft manufacturer Airbus‘ subsidiary OnAir to provide the e-mail and Internet services.

Kingfisher plans to install OnAir’s services on five Airbus A330s and A340s aircrafts each flying to Europe, Asia and the U.S. (the airline currently does not fly on international routes but plans to do so).

An onboard computer server will connect to the ground infrastructure via SwiftBroadband to provide the online services.

Fees for the new online services depend on data download for Internet usage, per flight for web mail and instant messaging and expected to be on par with international roaming rates for voice calls.