Inmarsat’s new GX Aviation terminal is now FAA certified for installation on Boeing 737 family aircraft. The Falcon 300 kit was developed in partnership with developed GDC Advanced Technology and includes GDC’s dual modem manager (MODMAN), with components by Kontron, and the proven, reliable, low-profile Ka2517 antenna by ThinKom.
Inmarsat has received a very positive response from the airline market since announcing our next-generation GX Aviation terminal with GDC Advanced Technology last year. We are now delivering on the promises made, not only achieving our first STC certification within such a short timeframe, but also completing extensive assessments and test flights that have demonstrated the terminal’s ability to deliver consistently the highest levels of connectivity, even over the world’s busiest airspaces.
– Kurt Weidemeyer, Inmarsat Aviation’s Senior Vice President of Technology
The Falcon 300 terminal is a lightweight, low-drag solution. It also includes technical improvements over prior generations that don’t quite make it future-proof, but certainly extend the capabilities to cover most of what the coming decade of demand will entail.
Tracy Trent, President of GDC Advanced Technology, adds, “Airlines and their passengers will reap the rewards of this innovative partnership for decades to come. We are excited to see our Falcon 300 terminals on aircraft and will continue to work closely with Inmarsat to further the future of inflight connectivity.”
The ThinKom antenna, for example, has demonstrated quick switching between LEO and GEO satellite constellations. It appears to be the prime choice for new Ka-band terminal offerings today, while solid state Electronically Steered Antenna (ESAs) options are not yet ready to fly.
Read More: OneWeb, GDC Technics partner on new ESA solution
The dual MODMAN configuration, as well as other technical considerations, also enable compatibility of the Falcon 300 across multiple GEO constellations in service today. With Viasat’s announced plans to purchase Inmarsat, the Falcon 300 configuration is understood to be one of few (if not the only) terminal solutions on the market today that can connect seamlessly to both sets of satellites.
GX Aviation and the Falcon 300 suite were recently selected by Saudia for its A321neo/A321XLR fleet.
The new terminal platform is also key to Inmarsat’s GX+ offering over North America. That solution adds capacity from Hughes’ JUPITER High Throughput Satellites to increase capacity in the region, though it has no airline customers yet.
Inmarsat is also celebrating the fifth anniversary of its award-winning GX Aviation solution this week. The system counts more than 35 airlines as customers and boasts a total order book of more than 1,500 aircraft. Approximately 550 planes carry the kit on board today.
More news from APEX EXPO 2021
- OneWeb, GDC Technics partner on new ESA solution
- SmartSky announces ATG availability for regional airlines
- Inmarsat, GDC celebrate 737 certification of Falcon 300 terminal for GX Aviation
- Anuvu adds $50 million for MicroGEO connectivity growth
- Malaysia Airlines plans IFE update with Flymingo
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