WHY IT RATES: Passengers on Qatar Airways will start to experience better-than-ever Wi-Fi connection.—Michael Schottey, TravelPulse Director of Digital Content
Qatar Airways passengers can now experience ‘Super Wi-Fi’ high-speed broadband connectivity using Inmarsat’s GX Aviation technology.
The broadband service is being progressively rolled out on all Boeing 777 aircraft and Airbus A350 aircraft in Qatar Airways’ young fleet. Qatar Airways is the first airline in the MENA region to have invested in the technology to provide this quality of service for passengers.
The progressive fit-out will equip its Boeing 777 and Airbus A350 aircraft with the new technology. Passengers on flights fitted with GX Aviation can receive one-hour free access to the ‘Super Wi-Fi’ to further enhance the award-winning level of service provided by the world’s best airline. If more time is needed, passengers can purchase full-flight access to the service selecting from a range of affordable options.
“In another first for the MENA region, Qatar Airways passengers can now enjoy high-speed broadband connectivity, providing rich content without restriction, whether using the internet for work or relaxation during their journey,” Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said. “Business traveler, in particular, will be able to maximize their ‘office in the sky’ with seamless continuity.”
“Qatar Airways is renowned as one of the greatest innovators in global aviation with passengers being at the center of everything they do,” President of Inmarsat Aviation, Mr. Philip Balaam, said. “We are delighted that they are now pioneering our game-changing GX Aviation in-flight broadband across the globe. This unprecedented service adds to the airline’s award-winning, five-star onboard experience by allowing passengers to seamlessly browse the internet, stream videos, check social media and more during flights.”
Inmarsat is the same high-tech provider selected by Qatar Airways for its space-based tracking system used to track all its flights worldwide. As one of the world’s leading developers of tracking systems, Inmarsat uses a network of satellites to detect signals transmitted from aircraft and relay this information reporting speed, location, and direction, to ground-based receivers.
Qatar Airways operates a modern fleet of more than 200 aircraft to a network of more than 150 key business and leisure destinations across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific, North America and South America.
The airline plans a host of exciting new destination launches this year, including London Gatwick and Cardiff, United Kingdom; Lisbon, Portugal; Tallinn, Estonia; Valletta, Malta; Cebu and Davao, Philippines; Langkawi, Malaysia; Da Nang, Vietnam; Bodrum and Antalya, Turkey; Mykonos, Greece and Málaga, Spain.
The award-winning airline has received a number of recent accolades, including ‘Airline of the Year’ by the prestigious 2017 Skytrax World Airline Awards, held at the Paris Air Show. This is the fourth time that Qatar Airways has been given this global recognition as the world’s best airline. In addition to being voted Best Airline by travelers from around the world, Qatar’s national carrier also won a raft of other major awards at the ceremony, including ‘Best Airline in the Middle East,’ ‘World’s Best Business Class’ and ‘World’s Best First Class Airline Lounge.’
