Inmarsat celebrates fifth anniversary of GX Aviation
Inmarsat is celebrating the fifth anniversary of GX Aviation, its most successful passenger inflight broadband service. Since entering commercial service in 2016, the award-winning solution has been selected by more than 35 airlines and activated on more than 550 aircraft, with approximately 1,000 additional aircraft in the order book.
Powered by Global Xpress (GX), GX Aviation offers reliable, consistent and high-speed inflight connectivity on par with mobile Wi-Fi on the ground.
"This latest milestone for GX Aviation comes at a critical time for the aviation industry, with the pandemic having accelerated passenger demand for digital inflight experiences. Inmarsat’s 2021 Passenger Confidence Tracker, the largest and most comprehensive global survey of its kind since the pandemic began, found that digital solutions that keep passengers connected and minimize their contact with cabin crew and fellow passengers can go a long way in boosting confidence. In addition, out of the 10,000 respondents, 41 percent believed inflight Wi-Fi had further increased in importance after the pandemic," said a November 30 press release.
Philippe Carette, President of Inmarsat Aviation, said: “GX Aviation has transformed the global inflight broadband market, offering unprecedented performance that has been truly embraced by airlines and their passengers. We celebrate its fifth anniversary with our world-class partner ecosystem, including industry-leading distributors such as Safran, SITA, Thales, Collins Aerospace and Honeywell.
The GX network currently consists of five Ka-band satellites and Inmarsat's technology roadmap will offer a number of major enhancements. Seven further satellites are set to launch by 2024, starting with the first Inmarsat-6, I-6 F1, in December 2021.