Inmarsat’s GX Aviation to Power Emirates’ Inflight Connectivity on 50 New Airbus A350s

Inmarsat’s GX Aviation to Power Emirates’ Inflight Connectivity on 50 New Airbus A350s

(PRESS RELEASE) LONDON, 11-Jan-2023 — /EuropaWire/ — Inmarsat (LSE: ISAT), the world leader in global, mobile satellite communications, has announced that Emirates, one of two flag carriers of the United Arab Emirates, will be offering its passengers high-speed inflight broadband on 50 new Airbus A350 aircraft, powered by Inmarsat’s GX Aviation solution. The major agreement between the two companies will further enrich passengers’ experience by providing enhanced connectivity and greater global coverage, including on flights over the Arctic. This milestone agreement marks an expansion of the long-standing partnership between Emirates and Inmarsat, allowing the airline to provide advanced, high-speed inflight broadband using Inmarsat’s award-winning GX Aviation solution on board 50 Airbus A350s, set to enter service starting in 2024.

As a result of this partnership, passengers will be able to stay connected with family and friends, browse the internet and enjoy social media, all from the comfort of their seats. The Airbus A350s will be the first Emirates aircraft to take advantage of Inmarsat’s Global Xpress (GX) satellite network, which powers the world’s first and only globally available high-speed broadband network. This will ensure that passengers can enjoy uninterrupted global connectivity, no matter their destination.

The GX network currently consists of five Ka-band satellites and will be further enhanced with the addition of seven more satellite payloads, as part of Inmarsat’s fully funded technology roadmap. This includes two Inmarsat-6s, the most sophisticated commercial communications satellites ever built, both of which are scheduled to enter service this year. These will be followed by three additional satellites in geostationary orbit, adding speed, capacity, and resilience, and two in highly elliptical orbit, which are set to launch later this year and enter service next year. This will enable the world’s only commercial mobile broadband service for aircraft flying in higher elevations and across the Arctic, such as routes between the Middle East and North America.

This latest agreement between Emirates and Inmarsat is yet another step towards making air travel more convenient and comfortable for passengers. With high-speed inflight broadband, passengers will be able to stay connected and productive while flying, allowing them to make the most of their travel time. Additionally, the global coverage provided by the GX network will ensure that passengers can stay connected even on long-haul flights over the Arctic, making air travel an even more seamless experience.

William Huot-Marchand, Inmarsat Aviation’s Senior Vice President of Inflight Connectivity, said “We are delighted that Emirates has joined the GX Aviation family. This will be the first fleet with Emirates to be equipped with our highly advanced GX Aviation solution.

“GX Aviation is well positioned to meet growing passenger expectations around a digital onboard experience, offering high-speed connectivity with uninterrupted global coverage across all flight routes, even over the Arctic. We look forward to working closely with Emirates on the rollout and other exciting innovations that build on its excellent track record of providing a best-in-class passenger experience.”

Adel al Redha, Emirates’ Chief Operating Officer, said “Delivering a world-class onboard experience has always been paramount to Emirates and we understand the importance of being connected during flights. Over the years, we have worked closely with Inmarsat and our supplier partners to ensure all our aircraft offer Wi-Fi connectivity. We look forward to finding ways and options to improve the connectivity on-board our aircraft by utilising GX Aviation for our Airbus A350 fleet. The advanced capabilities being introduced by the forthcoming satellites are particularly important, as this will boost capacity across our global network, including aircraft flying over the Arctic for routes between the Middle East and America.”

GX Aviation’s truly global inflight connectivity will unlock a range of new possibilities for Emirates. With its ice platform having been awarded Skytrax’s World’s Best Inflight Entertainment 17 years in a row, adding non-stop global connectivity to its onboard offering will further reinforce the airline’s unwavering commitment to deliver a world-class passenger experience. This is more important than ever, with Inmarsat’s latest Passenger Experience Survey finding that more than three-quarters (77%) of passengers worldwide say inflight Wi-Fi is important to them – 40% more than before the pandemic. Moreover, 97% say they now use their personal devices onboard, so it’s clear that providing a reliable, high-quality, and continuous connection is crucial to giving passengers the best experience.

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About Inmarsat

Inmarsat delivers world leading, innovative, advanced and exceptionally reliable global, mobile communications across the world – in the air, at sea and on land – that are enabling a new generation of commercial, government and mission-critical services. Inmarsat is powering the digitalisation of the maritime industry, making operations more efficient and safer than ever before. It is driving a new era of inflight passenger services for aviation, while ensuring that aircraft can fly with maximum efficiency and safety. Furthermore, Inmarsat is enabling the rapid expansion of the Internet of Things (IoT) and enabling the next wave of world-changing technologies that will underpin the connected society and help build a sustainable future. And now Inmarsat is developing the first-of-its-kind, multi-dimensional communications network of the future, ORCHESTRA.

In November 2021, Inmarsat and Viasat announced the planned combination of the two companies, to create a new leader in global communications.

Media contact:
press@inmarsat.com

SOURCE: Inmarsat Global Limited