EASA

The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has approved a supplemental type certificate (STC) to Lufthansa Technik to install Inmarsat’s Global Xpress (GX) Aviation Ka-band antenna on Lufthansa’s Airbus A320 family aircraft.

Lufthansa Technik is a maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services subsidiary of Germany-based airline Lufthansa.

Last year, mobile satellite communications provider Inmarsat won a contract to provide GX Aviation in-flight connectivity service on Lufthansa’s European continental fleet of more than 150 aircraft.

Inmarsat Aviation president Leo Mondale said: "EASA’s certification is an important milestone towards the service launch this year, as the A320 family is a popular workhorse for many airlines, business aviation operators and aircraft lessors.

"In addition, single-aisle aircraft as a whole are expected to account for 70% of new deliveries over the next 20 years. This highlights the vast market opportunities opened by this STC, especially as Inmarsat is positioned as the only provider that can serve A320 aircraft on a global basis throughout their lifecycle.

"The A320 family is a popular workhorse for many airlines, business aviation operators and aircraft lessors."

"It is also concrete evidence of the service’s growing maturity. We have developed GX Aviation over the past five years as the only end-to-end solution in which every component, from the satellites, ground network and terminals to the cabin networks, internet features and support, has been engineered with mobility in mind to provide a high-quality experience for airline passengers."

The first Lufthansa short-haul and medium-haul aircraft with broadband internet on-board will debut its flight in October, with plans to install the system to other airlines in the Lufthansa Group in the future.

It is reported that the new technology will be equipped on the entire fleet of Lufthansa’s A320 by mid-2018.

The newly approved STC serves to verify that the modifications to the aircraft, including hardware or software, conform to the design specifications stipulated by EASA, ensuring aircraft’s continued airworthiness.

Over the coming weeks, the on-board connectivity system will be tested for functionality and stability.

With the help of the new GX Aviation service, passengers will be able to access the internet on-board using their own mobile devices via Wi-Fi.

In addition to basic surfing and e-mail, other applications will be possible such as video streaming, SMS and data transfer.

Image: Lufthansa Technik to install Inmarsat’s Global Xpress (GX) Aviation Ka-band antenna on Lufthansa’s Airbus A320 family aircraft. Photo: courtesy of Inmarsat.