Emirates extends connectivity contract for A380s with OnAir

The news was broken this morning by Inmarsat chief executive Rupert Pearce during a webcast to announce the company's annual results.

 

He said that Emirates and OnAir had agreed to a "multi-year commitment" to provide airborne internet and phone connectivity on the super jumbo.

 

The service from OnAir can be accessed by passengers using their Wi-Fi-enabled devices, including smartphones, tablets and laptops. Emirates plans to equip its entire fleet of A380s.

 

Pearce said that Inmarsat SwiftBroadband is now flying on 138 different aircraft, with 1,000 more on backorder. He said the aviation sector had seen strong growth, especially in the fourth quarter of 2012.

 

Emirates has also said it is committed to fitting Panasonic's Panasonic's Ku-band Global Communication Suite (GCS) on wide-body aircraft.

 

After a trial on a single Boeing 777, which included four channels of live TV, internet and phone with Panasonic partner AeroMobile, the plan is to roll the service out across more than 100 777s in due course.

 

In another twist it appears that OnAir will remain the Internet Service Provider (ISP) on 777 despite the fact that Panasonic’s Ku-band hardware will drive the service.

 

Ian Dawkins, OnAir chief executive confirmed that Panasonic will provide the connectivity to the aircraft, while OnAir provides the onboard Wi-Fi service.

 

"We are responsible for the Wi-Fi service only in this instance. We act as a neutral service provider, working through an IFE vendor, in this case Panasonic. With other customers we provide Wi-Fi and GSM services, including the radio link and the airborne system," Dawkins said.

 

"We are IFE neutral and are currently working with the two main IFE vendors. However, we are always examining our options. Our OnAir Wi-Fi services are activated on two of Emirates' B777s through the Panasonic IFE," said Dawkins.

 

"This has had no impact at all on our relationship with Inmarsat, which is fully aware of the versatility of OnAir's technology and its ability to use various types of radio links. We remain very committed to Inmarsat SwiftBroadband and GX Aviation for both the commercial and VIP markets.

 

"Our aim is simply to enable airlines to provide consistent passenger connectivity services they want. To that end, we work directly with airlines, as well as through other vendors, but ensure our passenger services are aligned with the needs of the airline. We currently work with both Panasonic and Thales and we are happy to work with any vendor," he added.