Leading inflight connectivity company Inmarsat has revealed details of its next-generation terminal, designed to work with its global GX Aviation network. Working with GDC Technics, the company is in the process of certifying the new, low-drag, high-performance terminal, which will be an ideal complement to its powerful global network.

A new terminal for GX

On the back of the news that Inmarsat plans to launch a groundbreaking network for North America, GX+, the company has further improved its offering to other airlines worldwide. One of the key elements of GX+ was the introduction of the ThinKom flat panel antenna, a new addition to the Inmarsat solution.

Now, the improved terminal is ready to offer to airlines around the world. It includes the ThinKom antenna, and overall is a lower-drag, more efficient terminal ready to provide increasingly data-hungry passengers with a better WiFi connection.

The terminal has been thoroughly tested over the course of 12 months. During that time, Inmarsat says it has consistently delivered the highest levels of inflight connectivity, even across some of the world’s busiest airspaces.

Philip Balaam, President of Inmarsat Aviation, commented on the news, saying,

“GX Aviation is well established as the gold standard in inflight broadband and we have a fully-funded technology roadmap to ensure it remains the unrivalled choice for aviation connectivity. This includes the addition of seven more satellites into our global GX network over the next four years, as well as cutting-edge hardware innovation such as this new terminal.

“As a result, our existing and future customers are perfectly positioned to meet increasing passenger expectations for consistent, reliable, high-speed connectivity wherever they fly. There is already interest and excitement for this solution – especially around the terminal’s enhanced performance and its simple integration with both legacy systems and existing partners. GDC, as an experienced and credible aerospace company, has proved an exceptional partner on this project.”

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Robust and efficient

Working with GDC Technics, a leading engineering & technical services provider, the new terminal has been proven onboard a Boeing 737-700. It is certified for use on the type, and the company says that additional retrofit and line fit certifications are currently in progress.

Brad Foreman, Chief Executive Officer of GDC Technics, commented on its reliability, saying,

“The global inflight connectivity market is fast evolving, and we have enjoyed working with Inmarsat to develop this next-generation terminal for GX Aviation, which is not only lightweight and low drag, but also boasts one of the lowest engineering failure rates in the market. We are hugely excited about the partnership and look forward to working with Inmarsat and its partners to bring this new terminal to airlines across the world.”

By the end of the year, the terminal should be available for use on Airbus A320 and A330 family aircraft, as well as the Boeing 787 and 777 families. Customers have the option of either the low-profile configuration or a more standard tri-band radome.

Getting set for FlightPlan part 2

It’s clear Inmarsat is stepping up its game to be ready for the next generation of inflight WiFi users. The company is preparing for the second edition of its popular FlightPlan event, the first of which took place in April this year.

FlightPlan II, titled ‘Strategies for Recovery’, will take place on November 10^th with a full day of virtual interviews, presentations, and panel discussions. Register now at flightplan.wavecast.io.