Emirates Airbus A350 aircraft. Photo: Emirates

Inmarsat has won a major contract in the in-flight connectivity (IFC) arena with one of the standout airlines in this area. Emirates has selected Inmarsat as its IFC provider for its incoming fleet of Airbus A350s, as part of a commitment by the United Arab Emirates airline to be at the cutting edge of providing IFC services.

The agreement marks an expansion of the long-standing partnership between Emirates and Inmarsat. It will enable the airline to provide advanced, high-speed inflight broadband using Inmarsat’s GX Aviation solution onboard 50 Airbus A350s, which enter service from 2024. Passengers will be able to stay connected with family and friends, browse the internet, and enjoy social media.

The Airbus A350s will be the first Emirates aircraft to take advantage of Inmarsat’s Global Xpress (GX) satellite network. The GX network currently consists of five Ka-band satellites and will be further enhanced with the addition of seven more satellite payloads as part of Inmarsat’s fully funded technology roadmap. This includes two Inmarsat-6s, both of which are scheduled to enter service this year.

“Over the years, we have worked closely with Inmarsat and our supplier partners to ensure all our aircraft offer Wi-Fi connectivity. We look forward to finding ways and options to improve the connectivity on-board our aircraft by utilizing GX Aviation for our Airbus A350 fleet. The advanced capabilities being introduced by the forthcoming satellites are particularly important, as this will boost capacity across our global network, including aircraft flying over the Arctic for routes between the Middle East and America,” Adel al Redha, Emirates COO, said in a statement.