Photo: Lufthansa Group

German airline Lufthansa Group has selected Viasat to equip more than 150 aircraft – across its Lufthansa, SWISS, and Austrian Airlines fleets – with the European Aviation Network (EAN) in-flight connectivity (IFC) solution.  The additional 150+ aircraft include Airbus A320s, A320neos and A220s fleet types.

EAN combines S-band satellite coverage provided by Viasat with a ground component network operated by Deutsche Telekom for a  service that supports streaming and other high bandwidth requirements. EAN is a pan-European IFC offering that uses small, low weight, low drag terminals designed for narrow body aircraft. 

This expands the service Viasat provides to Lufthansa. Inmarsat, now a Viasat company, has provided Ka-band IFC service to Lufthansa Group since 2015. This connectivity solution is currently onboard 240 Lufthansa Group narrow-body aircraft. Lufthansa Group airlines also recently released a new version of its onboard portal, FlyNet, which will be accessible on EAN-equipped aircraft. 

“We’re so pleased to continue our long-standing partnership with Lufthansa Group, bringing the consistent, seamless in-flight connectivity solution that passengers want via the European Aviation Network. With so many passengers set to benefit, we’re excited to see the impact that EAN has on Lufthansa, SWISS, and Austrian Airlines’ fleets – especially in helping them remain at the forefront of offering a superior passenger experience, no matter which intra-European route or aircraft they fly,” commented Don Buchman, GM and VP of Commercial Aviation at Viasat.