Emirates to offer passengers
high-speed inflight broadband powered by Inmarsat’s
GX Aviation on 50 new Airbus A350 aircraft
11 Jan 2023
Emirates has selected Inmarsat
as the inflight connectivity provider for its
incoming fleet of Airbus A350s, as part of a
commitment by the United Arab Emirates airline to
ensure passengers ‘fly better’.
The milestone agreement marks
an expansion of the long-standing partnership
between Emirates and Inmarsat. It will enable the
airline to provide advanced, high-speed inflight
broadband using Inmarsat’s award-winning GX Aviation
solution onboard 50 Airbus A350s, which enter
service from 2024. As a result, passengers will be
able to stay connected with family and friends,
browse the internet, and enjoy social media, all
from the comfort of their seat.
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, ensuring
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 launch later this
year and enter service next year, enabling 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.
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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