Inmarsat’s GX Aviation Enters Service

Inmarsat’s next generation in-flight broadband service, GX Aviation, has gone live under a ‘soft launch’ phase with Lufthansa.

GX Aviation allows airline passengers to browse the internet, stream videos, check social media and more during flights.

Lufthansa will commence commercial passenger services with GX Aviation next month. Other customers of the solution include Singapore Airlines and Air Astana.

Leo Mondale, President of Inmarsat Aviation, said, “GX Aviation is not a patchwork solution. Our customers are not subject to the intermittent services and handover issues experienced by other providers. Billions of dollars and years of engineering have been invested to ensure that GX Aviation delivers a solution that is not just robust, but transformative. Passengers using GX Aviation will have on-the-ground levels of connectivity and uninterrupted access to the applications they use day-to-day, including email, web browsing, social media, video and music streaming, and online shopping, among others.”

Inmarsat was awarded a contract in October 2015 to provide in-flight connectivity services for passengers onboard Lufthansa’s European continental fleet of more than 150 aircraft.

The contract formalised the start of a 10-year strategic partnership between Lufthansa Group and Inmarsat, and provided a framework to extend the service to other airline brands in the Group.

The go-live of GX Aviation follows a successful cooperation with Lufthansa Technik and Lufthansa Systems, which together with Inmarsat have started the process of installing the broadband solution’s hardware and software on selected aircraft in the Lufthansa fleet.

Airlines will connect to the GX network using advanced new JetWave terminals produced by Inmarsat partner Honeywell Aerospace, with over 300 aircraft already committed to the system and more to come.

The exclusive terminals are designed for ease of installation and maintenance to assure the lowest downtime for any cabin connectivity solution in the market, allowing installation with minimal labour and using standard tools available in maintenance hangars.

See other recent news regarding: Inmarsat, Lufthansa, Honeywell, Aviation