Aircraft Interiors Expo – a leap into the future

The Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX) in Hamburg brings together key players in the airline industry, and once again, this year’s show provided the Inmarsat Aviation team with a great opportunity to meet with current and potential customers and partners.Leo Mondale, Inmarsat President, Aviation participated in the Passenger Experience conference during AIX, where he discussed the growing use of smartphones on board.

Coupled with increasing passenger demand to use their existing devices on a quality broadband service, he highlighted the possibility of maximising true broadband connectivity to not only grow the airline business but to also provide the ‘freedom of choice’ that passengers seek, and feel they are entitled to.

Passenger requirements

The rising need and desire for connectivity and  passenger requirements from their onboard internet service was a central theme for AIX discussions throughout the three-day show.

Jeff Sare, Inmarsat VP of Airline Market Development had an opportunity to talk to Terri Poratz, editor of APEX Association Magazine, about future trends for the in-flight connectivity market and Inmarsat’s positioning within it – at the forefront of innovation and growth. Listen to the interview and daily podcasts recorded from the top deck of our booth here.

Delegates were able to see the new Kymeta antenna displayed on the Inmarsat booth which has the potential to revolutionise terminal technology.

Faster connectivity

The true ‘flat’ panel will significantly reduce weight and drag, and so fuel costs, while significantly increasing throughput rates to the aircraft – from the same satellites – enabling faster connectivity and an even better broadband service to the cabin.

There was a great turnout to our drinks reception during the show, where airline heads mingled with our partners and other providers to discuss, among other subjects, the evolution of passenger connectivity as well as the full deployment of GX Aviation and the European Aviation Network.

We showcased what using your smartphone or device at 35,000 feet would be like with a demo conducted at the Inmarsat headquarters in City Road London, using the Global Xpress (GX) I5-F1 satellite connection. Watch the video here.

With the imminent launch of the third GX satellite in the constellation, and the provision of full global coverage and unmatched capacity expected in the second half of 2015, we aim to be the champion for the passenger and ensure airlines we partner with can provide the best possible quality experience to their loyal customers.