• GX Aviation reaches key milestone to offer passengers the freedom to stay connected to high-speed, in-flight Wi-Fi virtually anywhere around the globe

Phoenix and London | February 7, 2014–

The goal of delivering ‘home equivalent’ high-speed, consistent wireless internet connectivity for passengers and pilots on aircraft came a step closer today.  In a joint announcement,  Honeywell (NYSE: HON) and Inmarsat (LSE: ISAT.L) confirmed that they have finalised the critical design review (CDR) of the GX Aviation aircraft avionics on schedule.  It is anticipated that product certifications will be achieved later this year, followed by product introduction which is expected during the first half of 2015.

Targeting both passenger aircraft and business jets, GX Aviation is the first, truly global, high-speed, in-flight connectivity service that will provide data rates to the aircraft of up to 50Mbps. Using GX Aviation, passengers will be able to do everything from real-time social media updates and emails to live-streaming TV, all while in flight, and from virtually anywhere in the world, over both land and sea.

Completing the CDR marks the final development review for the GX Aviation aircraft avionics programme. Inmarsat and Honeywell engineers completed the evaluation on schedule and executed a comprehensive audit of the system design, engineering model hardware and programme.

Completion of this major milestone follows the successful launch of Inmarsat-5 F1 – the first of three Ka-band satellites – from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Russia on  8^th December  2013. The second and third satellites are scheduled to launch later this year, providing full global coverage by the end of 2014.

“Successful completion of our final design review is one more milestone along our path to product introduction in the first half of 2015,” said Jack Jacobs, vice president of Marketing, Honeywell Safety and Information Systems. “We are on track to bring a new level of high-speed, in-fight connectivity to consumers and airlines around the world, regardless of whether it is a domestic or international flight. In addition, we are actively working with several air transport and business aviation manufacturers to provide GX Aviation and to enable a truly connected aircraft from gate to gate and from ground to over 12,000 meters.”

“A comprehensive team from both Inmarsat and Honeywell has completed its analysis of every aspect of Honeywell’s satcom system to ensure it meets all our design criteria. We are confident that the Honeywell avionics, like the rest of the GX Aviation programme, will be ready for service launch in 2015. GX Aviation will bring a new dawn in aircraft connectivity, providing high-speed broadband connectivity for all user requirements throughout the flight,” said Miranda Mills, president, Inmarsat Aviation.

During the process, Inmarsat’s team reviewed the final functional specifications of hardware designs, and the results of engineering units tests. These reviews will enable the continued progress of the GX Aviation programme through product certification in 2014, product launch and global entry into service for commercial, business aviation and government customers in the first half of 2015.

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– New connectivity service will enable airlines to offer broadband speeds, data rates and bandwidth that passengers are used to receiving on the ground

Hamburg, Germany | April 9, 2013– Inmarsat (LSE:ISAT.L), the world’s leading provider of mobile satellite communications services, will host the world’s first preview of the avionics designed to support the company’s game-changing GX Aviation service for the aviation sector at the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg (April 9-11).

GX Aviation is the first high-speed global broadband service, delivered via Ka-band, and will be supported by a new suite of avionics designed and manufactured by Honeywell. On display for the first time, visitors to Hamburg will see the GX system components. Commercial availability of the avionics for GX Aviation is planned for early 2015. All GX Aviation avionics will be fully compliant with the A791 industry standard and intended for forward-fit and retro-fit installation from launch.

Miranda Mills, Inmarsat’s Vice President of Aerospace, explains: “GX Aviation is going to change the face of in-flight connectivity and the Aircraft Interiors Expo provides us with the perfect opportunity to reveal the avionics for the very first time. With our fleet of three satellites under construction by Boeing, and the first scheduled for launch this year, avionics represent the final segment which turns GX from a concept into a reality, which visitors to the stand can touch and feel.”

The GX Aviation service has been designed to offer consistent, high capacity broadband coverage with throughputs of up to 50Mbps around the world. This will enable airlines to offer their passengers access to the level of broadband speeds, data rates and bandwidth they are used to receiving on the ground, allowing them to stream live Internet content and take part in video calls, even when they are flying across an ocean at 30,000 feet.

Miranda continues: “The world is changing and airlines are seeking to keep up with passengers’ expectations. Our new GX service, which can be combined with our existing L-band solution, enables airlines to capitalise on already installed hardware to provide high speed broadband service with complete geographical coverage for all aircraft requirements, both in the cockpit and the cabin.”

Jack Jacobs, Vice President of Marketing Product and Management, Honeywell Aerospace said: “The consumer demand for fast, global in-flight connectivity continues to grow at a monumental rate. People want to be connected no matter where they are and have the same Internet experience that they have at home. Through GX Aviation Ka-band satellite connectivity, airlines will have more bandwidth, at a cost-effective price that provides consumers with an unprecedented global connectivity experience.