A Lufthansa A320 taking off. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

[Via Satellite 09-27-2016] Lufthansa Technik AG has started installing the latest Ka-band satellite technology as standard equipment for the Lufthansa Group’s entire Airbus A320 aircraft family. Together with partners Inmarsat and Lufthansa Systems, the Ka-band satellite technology aims to allow internet coverage on short- and medium-haul flights with Inmarsat’s Global Xpress (GX) network. Passengers can use their own mobile devices to access the Internet via Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN).

The Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) organization will fit a total of around 300 aircraft with the necessary antennas and routers in parallel in up to 10 production lines by spring 2018 at various Lufthansa Technik locations.

Lufthansa Technik currently holds Supplemental Type Certificates (STC) for the Airbus A320 family and the Airbus A340 for installing the system. The company is planned to include the Boeing 737 family and the Airbus A330 in the short term in order to provide full support for customers in particular in the Asian market for equipping their fleets with broadband communication technology.