Share

Inmarsat signs contract to provide Indonesian national carrier Garuda with GX Aviation inflight broadband

Milestone extension of Mahata’s 10-year contract for GX Aviation with low-cost carrier Citilink, also part of Garuda Indonesia Group, taking total commitment to over 175 aircraft

Inmarsat, the world leader in global mobile satellite communications, today announced a contract to provide its award-winning GX Aviation inflight broadband solution to Indonesian national carrier Garuda, in partnership with wireless technology provider Mahata Aero Teknologi, Lufthansa Technik and Lufthansa Systems.

The agreement to supply Garuda Indonesia with GX Aviation marks the extension of Mahata’s existing 10-year contract with low-cost carrier Citilink, also part of the Garuda Indonesia Group, for the inflight broadband solution. The service went live on the first Citilink aircraft earlier this month and is scheduled to launch with Garuda later this year.

More than 175 aircraft within the Garuda Indonesia Group will now be equipped with GX Aviation, including Airbus A320s, Airbus A330s, Boeing 737s and Boeing 777s. Lufthansa Technik will manage hardware, engineering, installation design and certification for the project, while Lufthansa Systems is responsible for software platform and integration, based on its BoardConnect´s open architecture.

GX Aviation is the world’s first and only global, high-speed inflight connectivity service delivered through a wholly-owned and operated network of high-throughput satellites, allowing passengers to seamlessly browse the internet, stream videos, check social media and more during flights.

Philip Balaam, President of Inmarsat Aviation, said: “Asia Pacific has become one of our biggest markets for GX Aviation. The fact that Indonesia’s national airline and low-cost carrier have both selected the service within months of each other is testament to GX Aviation’s status as the global benchmark for inflight broadband. This project has been moving ahead at impressive speed, from meeting Garuda and Citilink for the first time to signing our Memorandum of Understandings and final contracts. We look forward to continuing our rollout with them, alongside Mahata, Lufthansa Systems and Lufthansa Technik, so their passengers can experience the full capabilities of GX Aviation first-hand later this year.”

Garuda Indonesia President Director, I Gusti Ngurah Askhara Danadiputra, said: “Connectivity has become a key requirement for people today, whether on the ground or in the air. We are excited, therefore, about the prospect of offering fast, reliable and consistent inflight wi-fi to passengers with GX Aviation. As a Skytrax 5-star airline, it was important that we offered the best solution in the market and we look forward to working with Inmarsat, Mahata, Lufthansa Technik and Lufthansa Systems on the rollout.”

Iwan Setiawan, Executive Director of PT Mahata Aero Teknologi, said: “Our inflight broadband offering with Inmarsat, Lufthansa Technik and Lufthansa Systems is fast becoming the primary service amongst airlines in Asia Pacific. We are delighted to welcome the national airline Garuda Indonesia as a customer and look forward to working with them on the rollout. This further confirms the confidence in our partnership’s ability to bring state-of-the-art connectivity to passengers in one of the world’s fastest growing aviation markets.”

FURTHER INFORMATION

About Inmarsat

Inmarsat is the world leader in global, mobile satellite communications. It owns and operates the world’s best global portfolio of satellite networks, specifically designed for customer mobility, and holds a multi-layered, global spectrum portfolio, covering L-band, Ka-band and S-band, enabling unparalleled breadth and diversity in the solutions it provides. Inmarsat’s long established global distribution network includes not only the world’s leading channel partners but also its own strong direct retail capabilities, enabling end to end customer service assurance. The company has an unrivalled track record of operating the world’s most reliable global mobile satellite networks, sustaining business and mission critical safety & operational applications for almost 40 years. It is also a major driving force behind technological innovation in mobile satellite communications, sustaining its leadership through a substantial investment and a powerful network of technology and manufacturing partners. Inmarsat operates across a diversified portfolio of sectors with the financial resources to fund its business strategy and holds leading positions in the Maritime, Government and Aviation satcoms markets, operating consistently as a trusted, responsive and high quality partner to its customers across the globe.

For further information, visit Inmarsat.com or follow us on LinkedIn or on Twitter @InmarsatGlobal.

Jonathan Sinnatt
Director of Corporate Communications
+44 (0)20 7728 1935
[email protected]

Robeel Haq
Senior PR Manager and Social Media, Aviation
+44 (0)20 7728 1352
[email protected]