Above: Inmarsat’s Rahul Behal collects the Aviation Achievement Award for ‘Satellite Operator Excellence’ from Abdulmohsen Al Sayegh, Etihad Engineering’s Chief Financial Officer.
Courtesy Inmarsat
 
The award ceremony took place in Dubai last week, with the judging panel commending Inmarsat for enhancing its satellite capabilities and supporting technology infrastructure. The company’s fully-funded technology roadmap means customers using Inmarsat’s GX Aviation and Jet ConneX inflight broadband services for the commercial and business aviation markets, as well as its SB-S safety and operations connectivity solution, can rest assured their evolving needs will be met into the 2030s and beyond.

 
Inmarsat’s technology roadmap includes its I-6 F2 satellite, which was successfully launched last month. I-6 F2 and its previously launched twin, I-6 F1, are the most sophisticated commercial communications satellites ever built. As Inmarsat’s first dual payload satellites, they will boost capacity for both its ELERA and Global Xpress (GX) networks. The company will build on this momentum by adding five more advanced spacecraft to its fleet by 2025.
 
GX 7, 8 and 9 each power around twice the total capacity of the entire current GX network and can simultaneously create thousands of independent beams of different sizes, bandwidth and power to direct capacity exactly where it’s needed in real-time. The GX 10A and 10B HEO satellites offer commercial mobile broadband service for aircraft flying in higher elevations and across the Arctic, such as routes between the Middle East and North America operated by GX Aviation customers such as Emirates, Qatar Airways and Saudia.
 
Additionally, Inmarsat was recognised for its pioneering ORCHESTRA ‘network of networks’, which will intelligently orchestrate the power and throughput of GX Ka-band network, the resilience of its ELERA L-band network and the addition of complementary LEO and terrestrial 5G networks, providing a platform for continuous innovation that will synthesise an expanding combination of network services.
 
Neale Faulkner, Inmarsat Aviation’s Regional Vice President Middle East, said: “The past year has been about continuing to deliver the best connectivity possible – whenever and wherever our customers require it. Our recent surveys conducted in the airline and business aviation markets have found that inflight Wi-Fi has never been more important to passengers. This is reflected in the record usage we’ve experienced for our inflight connectivity services over the past year.
 
“We pride ourselves on constantly developing our world-class solutions and ensuring our aviation customers have the certainty that as their needs continue to evolve, so does their inflight connectivity. We’re delighted that the Aviation Achievement Awards has also recognised those efforts once again.”
 
Kenneth Mitchen, Executive Director at Aviation Achievement Awards, added: “The importance of satellite connectivity is only growing and the aviation industry needs connectivity services that are not only world-class but also reliable and far-reaching. Inmarsat has consistently demonstrated that it is both dedicated and committed to the advancement of connectivity capabilities – be that for commercial airlines, business aviation operators, or even UAV operators. We congratulate them on another worthy win at the Aviation Achievement Awards and look forward to seeing the innovations Inmarsat will drive over the next year.”