Air Astana to offer passengers in-flight broadband speed connectivity

Kazakh carrier installs Rockwell Collins/Inmarsat GX Aviation system on Boeing 767 fleet

Passengers flying on Air Astana are now able to experience high-speed broadband In-Flight connectivity, with the airline’s first Boeing 767 featuring the service. The award-winning Kazakh air carrier has installed the Rockwell Collins cabin system, which utilises Inmarsat’s Global Xpress (GX) Aviation capabilities to provide In-Flight connectivity.

The new service enables Air Astana passengers to surf the Internet, use various instant messenger applications, social networks, listen to audio and check e-mails via personal computers, tablets and smartphones. Broadband speed connectivity will be available to Business and Economy class passengers on all three of Air Astana’s Boeing 767s.

Depending on their individual needs, Air Astana passengers will be able to choose from three connectivity packages: The Light option will cover 15 Mb, the Business option will cover 50 Mb, and the Super option will cover 100 Mb. All services are estimated to operate at an average speed of 2 to 5 Mbps.

Andrey Gulev, manager Commercial Engineering commented,

“One of our core missions at Air Astana is to be on the cutting-edge of technology and constantly enhance our passengers’ experience whether it’s on board or on the ground. We proved this in 2016, when we became one of the first airlines to commit to Inmarsat’s Global Xpress high-speed in-flight connectivity system with Rockwell Collins. We’re delighted the service is now ready to launch and we are looking forward to hearing what our passengers think of being able to continue sending work emails throughout their flight or chatting to their friends on social media.”

“Air Astana is leading the way by adding broadband connectivity to its fleet, creating new attractive services for its passengers,” said David Nieuwsma, senior vice president, Information Management Services at Rockwell Collins. “Passengers on Air Astana’s retrofitted fleet of Boeing 767s will have access to the latest technology in global inflight connectivity that is highly reliable and offers great performance.”

Frederik van Essen, Inmarsat Aviation senior vice president of Strategy and Business Development, said:

“GX Aviation is the only solution in the market today that has been specifically designed for inflight broadband, offering unprecedented speed, reliability and consistency. Air Astana is the first airline in the world to offer GX Aviation on widebody aircraft, reinforcing their focus on technology innovation and passenger service excellence. We are delighted to celebrate this milestone with Air Astana and our partner Rockwell Collins.”

The new service will be available to passengers on the first of Air Astana’s Boeing 767s, with system installation on its second aircraft planned be completed in October 2017.