Satellite broadband provider Inmarsat is launching its new “gold standard” GX Aviation in-flight WiFi on AirAsia planes.
AirAsia will benefit from the world’s first and only global broadband network. Passengers will be offered a free trial on equipped aircraft until the end of this month.
GX Aviation integrates with AirAsia’s entertainment and e-commerce platform to provide passengers with access to a variety of free entertainment, music, games, news and shopping using their personal mobile devices.
Aireen Omar, AirAsia Group President (RedBeat Ventures), said:
“As the pioneer of LCC inflight Wi-Fi in the region, we are always looking for ways to redefine the inflight digital experience for our guests.
Introducing Ka-band, powered by ROKKI, is the next logical step in this process, with the enhanced inflight connectivity allowing our guests to stay connected throughout their journey and perform data-intensive activities such as live-streaming.
This also enables better real-time analytics, allowing us to offer more personalised services to AirAsia’s 100 million guests annually.”
Upcoming enhancements to Inmarsat’s GX network will further increase capacity.
Philip Balaam, President of Inmarsat Aviation, said:
“AirAsia’s launch of GX Aviation services is a significant milestone, as it brings to life the airline’s bold and innovative new digital offering for passengers. We are confident that their upgrade from basic connectivity to the industry’s gold standard inflight broadband will be warmly embraced by passengers.
Our teams continue to work closely together to install GX Aviation on the rest of AirAsia’s fleet of Airbus A320 and A330 aircraft, making it available to millions of new passengers each month."
Inmarsat recently signed agreements to develop its next generation of GX satellites which promise a “transformative” change in in-flight broadband capabilities:
The GX7, 8, and 9 satellites feature thousands of dynamically-formed beams which direct capacity over high-demand areas.
The GZ10A and 10B Arctic promise the only broadband satellite dedicated to the region.
New GX payloads are scheduled to launch in 2019, 2020, and 2021. GX Aviation will be rolled out across AirAsia’s Airbus A320 and A330 fleet over the next year.
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