China Airlines’ first Airbus A321neo aircraft, which features Inmarsat’s high-speed GX Aviation in-flight Wi-Fi, has now entered commercial service.
The solution allows passengers to seamlessly browse the internet, stream video and audio, shop online and work from the comfort of their seat.
China Airlines has ordered 25 Airbus A321neos as part of a narrowbody fleet replacement programme and the aircraft will be equipped with Inmarsat’s GX Aviation and SITA’s Internet ONAIR, alongside other new cabin features such as fully flat seats in Premium Business Class, the latest in-flight entertainment system and 4K displays.
Niels Steenstrup, Inmarsat Aviation’s Senior Vice President of Inflight Connectivity Business, said: “We are delighted to welcome China Airlines as our latest GX Aviation in-flight broadband customer, especially at a time when the carrier is welcoming millions of its passengers back to the skies. The fact that this is our second new airline customer announcement with SITA in recent months is testament to our successful partnership and also reinforces strong demand for our market-leading connectivity, despite the challenges that Covid-19 has presented to the aviation industry over the past two years.”
Katrina Korzenowski, Asia Pacific Vice President at SITA FOR AIRCRAFT, added: “Providing a digital and touchless onboard experience will be the key to increasing passenger confidence as air travel recovers from the Covid-19 pandemic. Our Internet ONAIR technology, coupled with Inmarsat’s GX Aviation connectivity, offers China Airlines the perfect blueprint for a world-class inflight broadband offering onboard its Airbus A321neo aircraft and we’re proud to be working together to achieve this. It also means that SITA is now providing a full suite of services, from cockpit to cabin, to China Airlines.”
