Inmarsat and Honeywell have successfully completed the first GX Aviation Global Flight Tour, in preparation for launching the ground-breaking new broadband solution for airline passengers later this year.
(Inmarsat and Honeywell completed a successful global flight tour for GX Aviation to over 10 cities, across four continents, on Honeywell’s Boeing 757 aircraft. Over six weeks, the flying lab allowed Inmarsat and Honeywell to complete system integration in preparation for GX Aviation’s launch this year. Courtesy of Inmarsat and YouTube)
The tour covered more than 10 locations across North America, South America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Australia, logging over 120 flight hours and 45,000 miles onboard the Honeywell Boeing 757 test aircraft – almost equivalent to flying twice around the globe.
The 38-day tour focused on complete system integration and fine-tuning in a wide range of operational circumstances and locations, including over land and in the middle of the ocean.
Completion of this important step means that Inmarsat is now ready to deliver the world’s first in-flight connectivity solution with reliable, seamless high-speed global coverage provided through a single operator.
Honeywell is GX Aviation’s exclusive hardware provider.
Airline personnel and partners from across the world also joined Inmarsat and Honeywell engineers for a sneak preview and were able to experience GX Aviation themselves for the first time.
Guests onboard the aircraft were able to stream videos, check social media and emails, and video-call their friends, family and colleagues around the world on a range of devices, with a quality of connectivity on par with what they receive on the ground.
“It was great being on the GX Aviation flight,” stated one of the guests from an airline. “I loved being able to test my five devices and doing a live video stream on Facebook, internet browsing, VPN, Skype, Netflix and YouTube.”
“The commercial launch of GX Aviation is imminent and we are delighted that system integration has now been completed with Honeywell,” said Leo Mondale, President of Inmarsat Aviation.
“Importantly, the global flight tour also provided the first opportunity for airline executives to experience GX Aviation themselves. The feedback was extremely positive at every location we visited around the world, reinforcing the strength of our global coverage.
The industry is truly sharing our excitement about this transformative step change in in-flight connectivity.”
A link to the GX Aviation tour video can be found here: www.inmarsat.com/gxperience
Inmarsat is the leading provider of global mobile satellite communications services.
Since 1979, Inmarsat has been providing reliable voice and high-speed data communications to governments, enterprises and other organizations, with a range of services that can be used on land, at sea or in the air.
Inmarsat operates in more than 60 locations around the world, with a presence in the major ports and centers of commerce on every continent.
Honeywell Aerospace products and services are found on virtually every commercial, defense and space aircraft, and its turbochargers are used by nearly every automaker and truck manufacturer around the world.
The Aerospace business unit develops innovative solutions for more fuel-efficient automobiles and airplanes, more direct and on-time flights, safer flying and runway traffic, along with aircraft engines, cockpit and cabin electronics, wireless connectivity services, logistics, and more.
The business delivers safer, faster, and more efficient and comfortable transportation-related experiences worldwide.
