High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Airfone is a brand of air-ground radiotelephone service offered by Verizon. Airfone allows passengers to make telephone calls in-flight. It was originated by John D. Goeken (who also founded MCI Communications and FTD`s Mercury Network) in the 1970s. Western Union purchased a fifty percent share in Airfone in 1981 and sold to GTE in 1986 for $39 million cash. Delta Air Lines offered the United States`s first public air-to-ground telephone system with Airfone. An Airfone telephone is usually located in the seatback of the seat in front of the passenger, there may only be one per row in coach class, while first class may have one per seat. Airfone phone calls are usually quite expensive compared to ground-based telephone calls, costing $3.99 per call and $4.99 per minute in 2006.