Passengers on Chinese airlines will be able to surf the Internet and make phone calls in the air under a government plan that requires Chinese airlines to set up satellite communication systems.

According to a draft proposal released by the Civil Aviation Administration of China on Tuesday, airline companies will have satellite communication equipment installed from 2013 to 2016. By the end of 2016, all commercial aircraft should have the equipment.

"The new move is aimed to strengthen speech communication between the control room on the aircraft and the ground", said an official surnamed Ma from the publicity department at the administration.