Row44 raises another $37M to let fliers browse the net 30,000 feet above

Row44, a provider of internet connectivity for flight passengers, announced on Thursday it raised an additional $37 million in its second round of funding led by PAR Capital Management.

The investment comes as in-flight wireless has become a de facto standard for long-distance flights, with supergiants like Aircell — which provides the Gogo in-flight wireless service — competing for airlines and their customers. A report by Bloomberg Businessweek suggested that in-flight wireless revenue could reach as much as $100 million this year alone.

This brings up the total amount of funding for Row44 to $58 million, after an earlier $21 million fundraising round, again led by PAR capital. Additional investment came from Larry Kellner, president of Emerald Creek Group and former CEO of Continental Airlines — perhaps an indication of the airlines Row 44 may be courting to provide its wireless service.

Just about eight months earlier, rival Aircell raised a massive $176 million for the same purpose. Row 44 also competes with On Air and the Verizon Airfone for the same space.

Next Story: Expensify raises $5.7M for more expense reports "that don't suck"
Previous Story: On the GreenBeat: Unilever invests in Solazyme, Frito Lay launches electric trucks

Tags: airline wifi, airline wireless, Gogo, in-flight wifi, in-flight wireless, WiFi