Joe Oliver was boarding a Vancouver-bound flight last month, when his BlackBerry buzzed with an email telling him Prime Minister Stephen Harper wanted a word.

Oliver’s wife followed up with a similar message. But then his plane took off, so Oliver had to stew for five hours, wondering what the PM wanted.

It was only when Oliver finally landed that he learned he was being tapped as the country’s new finance minister.

Now Air Canada has announced passengers will soon be reachable by their bosses, though it’s debatable whether that’s good or bad, as it brings Wi-Fi to the skies.

To highlight its Internet connection offering, an airline staffer sent out the news, from a Toronto to Calgary flight Wednesday morning.

“In today’s connected world, our customers want to access email, mobile device applications and the internet wherever they are, both to increase their work productivity and expand their leisure options,” said Benjamin Smith, chief commercial officer, in the news release.

But passengers won’t have to worry about a seatmate yakking away on a long flight because voice calls are still prohibited.

Air Canada has signed a deal with Gogo, a U.S. company, to equip its narrow-body fleet with air to ground Wi-Fi connections for use on its North American routes.

Air Canada did not disclose the price passengers will pay but said it would be competitive with other airlines.

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According to Gogo’s website, which operates on U.S. carriers such as Delta, American and United Airlines, passengers can buy a 1-hour pass for $5, 24-hour pass for $14, or monthly service on a single airline for $39.95 or a monthly pass for all Gogo equipped flights for $49.95.

Currently, Air Canada has two Airbus 319 planes outfitted with Wi-Fi capabilities as part of pilot project testing.

Beginning in May, Air Canada says it will begin to add Wi-Fi equipment on its remaining narrow body fleet as well as smaller planes like the Embraer 190 and 175 aircraft as well as CRJs. It hopes to 29 aircraft equipped in 2014, and complete 130 planes by the end of 2015.

Gogo will also test future satellite service on international flights for the airline.

Air Canada’s news comes on the heels of WestJet’s announcement in February that it plans to install a new in-flight entertainment system that will include live-streaming television, on-demand movies as well as wireless internet.

Under WestJet’s deal with Panasonic Avionics Corporation, passengers can use their own devices or laptops to access programming or use on-board tablets to access the Internet. It also has not disclosed what fees might be charged.

“We know that roughly 75 per cent of our guests are bringing their own devices on board today,” said Marshall Wilmot, WestJet vice-president, product and distribution, at the time in a news release. “They tell us they want the opportunity to connect to check their email, put the finishing touches on a presentation or keep in touch with family and friends.”

Panasonic will install the system on one WestJet Boeing Next Generation aircraft before the end of 2014, at which time the airline will perform tests to fine-tune the system.

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WestJet spokesman Robert Palmer said in an email that once the installation is in place, the airline will need Transport Canada’s approval. If approval is given before the end of year, it could complete more installations.

Offering Internet connectivity is considered critical as Canadian airlines try to generate more revenues through fees paid by passengers for additional services, known in the industry as ancillary revenue.

Those revenues include advance seat selection, change penalties, on-board food and beverages sales, and checked baggage fees.

Both WestJet and Air Canada executives have spoken of increasing ancillary revenues, in part as a way of offsetting a weaker Canadian dollar.

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