Etihad selects Viasat for IFC and live streaming
Mohammed Al-Bulooki, Chief Operating Officer, Etihad Airways and Meherwan Polad, Chief Commercial Officer, Global Enterprise & Mobility at Viasat pose with a ceremonial custom surfboard, a Viasat aviation tradition
Etihad Airways and Viasat Inc. announced details of high-speed, inflight connectivity (IFC) and Live TV streaming solutions for Etihad’s new Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet at AIX earlier this month.
The new Etihad Airways aircraft are being factory-installed with Viasat’s Ka-band connectivity system at the Boeing facility in Charlotte, North Carolina, and are scheduled to begin service in the third quarter of this year a recent release announced.
On Etihad’s 787 Dreamliners, Viasat will enable live streaming to PEDs and seatback screens of four popular international channels and one Arabic channel, including BBC Arabic, BBC World News, CNN International, CNBC, and Sport24.
Meherwan Polad, Viasat’s Chief Commercial Officer, Global Enterprise and Mobility, added, “We’re thrilled that Etihad Airways — a highly innovative and passenger-centric airline — has chosen Viasat as its connectivity partner on their new Boeing aircraft. This relationship marks an important step for our business in the Middle East, where we will bring powerful inflight connections to passengers virtually anywhere.”
