Inmarsat Named World's Leading Inflight Internet Service Provider

Inmarsat, the world leader in global, mobile satellite communications, has been crowned ‘World’s Best Inflight internet Service Provider’ for the fifth consecutive year at the World Travel Tech Awards in recognition of the company’s market-leading GX Aviation and European Aviation Network (EAN).

The prestigious accolade from the sister event of the World Travel Awards was announced following an extensive year-long search for the world’s top travel technology brands, which attracted a record number of votes by industry professionals and members of the public from across the globe.

Inmarsat triumphed after experiencing its best ever year for passenger usage of its next-generation inflight broadband solutions in comparison to before the pandemic. The trend aligns with the results of Inmarsat’s 2021 Passenger Confidence Tracker, the largest global survey of its kind since the pandemic began, which found that digital solutions that keep passengers connected and minimise their contact with cabin crew and fellow passengers can go a long way in boosting confidence. In addition, 41% of the 10,000 respondents believed the ability to browse the internet, shop online, stream videos, enjoy social media and more during flights had increased even further in importance after the pandemic.

GX Aviation, which is celebrating its fifth anniversary this year, has been activated on more than 550 aircraft to date, with approximately 1,000 additional aircraft in the order book. It has been selected by more than 35 airlines worldwide, including Qatar Airways, Air New Zealand, Singapore Airlines, AirAsia, Lufthansa, Virgin Atlantic and most recently, SAUDIA. EAN has also recorded a milestone year after crossing 270 aircraft activations, with more than 40 million passengers enjoying access to the service since it launched with British Airways, Iberia and Vueling, all part of the International Airlines Group (IAG).

Inmarsat recently unveiled plans for ORCHESTRA, the communications network of the future, which will bring existing geosynchronous (GEO) satellites together with low earth orbit satellites (LEO) and terrestrial 5G to form an integrated, high-performance solution, unmatched by any existing or planned competitor offering. ORCHESTRA allows capacity to be boosted in high-density areas such as at airports, eliminating congested network ‘hot spots’ and ensuring the connectivity needs of aviation customers continue to be met well into the future, with capacity scaled directly to match their requirements.