[SatNews] Honeywell Aerospace (NYSE: HON) and Inmarsat’s GX Aviation program is one step closer to providing travelers with a home- and office-like wireless connectivity experience even at 30,000 feet by the year 2015. Inmarsat successfully launched the first of three satellites in the Global Xpress constellation network, the Inmarsat-5 F1.

The constellation will deliver the world’s first truly global, high-speed in-flight Wi-Fi, offering passengers, airlines and original equipment manufacturers consistent connectivity for commercial, military and business aircraft over land and sea.
 
“Passengers want to stay connected online even when they are flying at 30,000 feet. They expect to have an experience that mimics the Internet in their home or office,” said Jack Jacobs, vice president of Marketing & Product Management at Honeywell. “With the launch of Inmarsat’s first satellite in the Global Xpress constellation, passengers and airlines will get exactly what they desire: faster in-flight Wi-Fi that provides everybody with the ability to shop, access email, connect with friends on social networking sites, and enjoy live streaming for entertainment with a consistent connection across oceans and regions.”
 
“GX Aviation is changing the face of in-flight connectivity,” said Miranda Mills, Inmarsat president, Aviation. “It will be the world’s first global Ka-band network, specifically designed to provide connectivity to aircraft, and will enable a whole range of new services for both passengers and crew.”
 
The F1 satellite will first cover the Indian Ocean region. The remaining satellites are expected to launch in the second and third quarters of 2014, providing global coverage by the end of 2014.
 
In September 2013, Honeywell released a survey of more than 3,000 global airline passengers that signaled a major shift in the definition of airplane passenger comfort and confirmed an increasing demand for global, transoceanic, fast and consistent in-flight wireless connectivity. The survey revealed:

• More than three in four fliers surveyed think wireless access should always be available on airplanes
• Almost 90 percent of fliers would give up an amenity on their flight — preferred seats, extra legroom and more — to be guaranteed a faster and more consistent wireless connection

Beyond passenger comfort, the Honeywell-developed avionics and hardware for GX Aviation will more effectively enable new services for aircraft operators and airlines, such as predictive maintenance and better aircraft communications that will take advantage of fast, consistent and global connectivity, essentially creating a truly “connected aircraft.”

For further information regarding Honeywell Aerospace: http://aerospace.honeywell.com/