Inmarsat starts 'Online In the Air' revolution at Dubai Air Show 2003

There is enormous demand from business passengers to stay in touch and continue to be productive whilst travelling, making this a crucial differentiator for commercial airlines and executive jets. Along with its partners ARINC, JetLab and Telenor, Inmarsat will be demonstrating a unique set of satellite communications technologies that enable a new, connected aviation industry.

"A powerful underlying theme for the global technology industry this year is 'always-on' mobile connectivity," said Simon Tudge, Marketing Manager for Aeronautical Business at Inmarsat. "The Middle East has several extremely progressive commercial airline operators who understand that attracting and retaining the lucrative business passenger sector through value-added services is central to profitability and growth. Inmarsat believes that this region will be amongst the fastest in the world to start providing in-flight connectivity to passengers, driven by the extremely high percentage of business travellers, both intra- and inter-regionally."

Among the solutions on display is Swift64, Inmarsat's high-speed data communications service for airlines, private operators and government aircraft. It offers data rates of 64kbit/s and higher, offering users access to email, the web and their corporate networks, and even allowing for the transfer of large files or live videoconferencing. "Inmarsat research shows clearly that today's business traveller wants - and increasingly demands - to be able to carry on working whilst in the air. Swift64 supplies this vital link: a reliable, high-capacity data connection to public and private networks on the ground," Tudge commented.

Regional private and commercial airlines can use Swift64 for their cabin crew communications as well as for passengers. Samer Halawi, Inmarsat's Regional Director, said, "Swift64 is already meeting passengers' and airlines' requirements for in-flight connectivity. Regional BGAN (Regional Broadband Global Area Network) is another technology very attractive to the aeronautical industry. The Regional BGAN modem can be used by ground-based employees throughout the region to establish communications almost instantly with their central information systems. This is vital when communicating from remote areas that lack an appropriate telecommunications infrastructure. Regional BGAN can provide the airlines with the efficiency and reliability that are crucial for the timely and critical operations of flying airplanes."

The 8th International Aerospace Exhibition in Dubai marks the development of this regions' aviation industry into a major global player, with the Middle East being home to a number of aviation organisations that are benchmark for success worldwide. Tudge ended: "We are proud to be part of this prestigious event, and we look forward to sharing the Inmarsat portfolio of services with the largest and most influential names in the aeronautical world."