Inmarsat's GX Aviation now on 100 Qatar Airways aircraft

Image courtesy Inmarsat

The advanced connectivity service, which is being rolled out across Qatar Airways’ fleet of Boeing 777 and Airbus A350 aircraft, has become a popular addition to the airline’s premium five-star onboard experience, allowing passengers to seamlessly browse the internet, stream videos, check social media and shop online during flights.

Qatar Airways passengers receive one hour of free access to GX Aviation on equipped flights, with the ability to purchase full-flight access if more online time is needed. The service, marketed as ‘Super Wi-Fi’ by Qatar Airways, has been used by millions of the airline’s passengers since 2018, when it became GX Aviation’s launch customer in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

The milestone of 100 aircraft has been achieved as Qatar Airways continues to play a leading role in the global aviation industry’s recovery from the impact of COVID-19. It became the largest international carrier between April and June this year, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), and has now effectively rebuilt its network to over 85 destinations across six continents, with more than 650 weekly flights.

Philip Balaam, President of Inmarsat Aviation, said: “Qatar Airways is world renowned for offering a superior onboard experience, which is enjoyed by millions of loyal passengers across the world. We are pleased that our GX Aviation inflight broadband has become such an important component of that experience on the airline’s extensive fleet of Boeing 777 and Airbus A350 aircraft. Feedback from passengers has been hugely positive and now, with the service being available on 100 aircraft, even more can enjoy the best connectivity in the skies. This is particular important at the current time, as the desire to stay connected with families, friends and colleagues increases. GX Aviation can also support airlines as they accelerate efforts towards digitisation and a touchless service offering.”

His Excellency Mr Akbar Al Baker, Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, said: “As a leader of innovation within the global aviation industry, Qatar Airways already operates one of the youngest and most technologically-advanced fleet in the skies. Where other airlines are reducing their Wi-Fi offering, Qatar Airways is expanding it. With connection to our loved ones and friends now more important than ever during these challenging times, we are delighted to work with Inmarsat and its GX Aviation technology to bring high-speed Super Wi-Fi broadband to passengers on board our fleet as part of Qatar Airways’ exceptional five star service.”

GX Aviation is the world’s first inflight broadband solution with reliable, seamless high-speed global coverage provided through a single operator. Qatar Airways will also benefit from major upcoming enhancements to Inmarsat’s GX network, with additional capacity being introduced by seven new GX payloads scheduled to launch in the coming four years, representing a transformative step-change in inflight broadband capabilities. This includes the entry into service of GX5 later this year over the Europe and Middle East region.

The ground-breaking GX7, 8 & 9 satellites, which feature thousands of dynamically-formed beams that direct capacity over high-demand areas, will follow soon afterwards with the innovative new GX10A & 10B Arctic payloads, which will be the only broadband satellite service dedicated to this region and a perfect match for Qatar Airways aircraft flying in higher elevations and across the Arctic.