We build a general equilibrium model of endogenous communication, quality control and trade. We derive a structural gravity equation from the model and show that exogenous communication costs increase the probability of product failure and have a more negative impact on trade flows of products with a lower elasticity of substitution. In our empirical application, we focus on direct flight connectedness as a key determi nant of communication costs and estimate its causal impact using the derived gravity equation. We overcome the identification challenge using an instrumental variable con structed based on the discontinuity of direct flights at around 6,000-mile distance due to air travel regulations. Moreover, we obtain novel data on international business lawsuits and provide direct evidence that air connectedness reduces the probability of product failure. We combine the empirical estimates and our equilibrium model to quantify the aggregate impact of air connectedness.