Inmarsat to bring high speed broadband to Austrian Airlines

Global mobile satellite communications provider Inmarsat announced on Friday it will provide its new ‘GX for Aviation’ in-flight broadband solution to Austrian Airlines' continental aircraft fleet under a “landmark” new contract.

The FTSE 250 company said more than 30 Austrian Airlines aircraft from the Airbus A320 family will be equipped with GX for Aviation, which its board said is the world's first in-flight connectivity solution with reliable high-speed global coverage provided through a single operator.

It said the new service will allow the airline's passengers to browse the internet, stream videos, check social media and more, with service levels on par with broadband connectivity available on the ground.

The first installation and testing onboard Austrian Airlines aircraft was already underway, Inmarsat said.

It claimed the Austrian Airlines contract is part of a 10-year strategic agreement announced last year between Inmarsat and the Lufthansa Group, which included the selection of GX for Aviation for Lufthansa's European continental fleet of over 150 aircraft.

The service recently went live under a 'soft launch' phase on selected aircraft with Lufthansa and commercial passenger services are expected to start with the airline soon.

“We are delighted to welcome Austrian Airlines as our latest GX for Aviation customer,” said Inmarsat president for aviation Leo Mondale.

“This announcement is particularly special for us, as it comes soon after we unveiled that the service is now live after five years of development.”

Mondale said that airline passengers had struggled with substandard or non-existent connectivity onboard their flights for a long time now, while connectivity on the ground continued to improve.

“GX for Aviation marks an important turning point,” he said.

“Broadband services are now available in the sky, so you can browse the internet, stream videos, download files, check and update your social media, just as you have been doing on the ground.

“Our airline customers understand that service differentiators such as high-speed broadband on flights are key to meeting the expectations of today's passengers and therefore strengthening their position in a highly competitive market.”