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Update Dec. 7, 2017: Rockwell Collins confirmed that all three of Air Astana’s aircraft are now outfitted with it’s cabin connectivity system.
Rockwell Collins’ cabin system is now on-board Kazakhstan-based Air Astana’s fleet of Boeing 767s, Rockwell Collins said. The cabin system uses Inmarsat’s Global Xpress (GX) Aviation capabilities to provide in-flight connectivity.
“GX Aviation is the only solution in the market today that has been specifically designed for in-flight broadband, offering unprecedented speed, reliability and consistency,” said Frederik van Essen, Inmarsat Aviation’s SVP of strategy and business development. “Air Astana is the first airline in the world to offer GX Aviation on wide-body 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.”
With the system, passengers on Air Astana’s three 767s can use personal mobile devices to surf the internet, use some instant messenger applications, use social networks, listen to audio and check emails.
“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,” said Andrey Gulev, manager of commercial engineering for Air Astana. “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.”
One of Air Astana’s 767s is currently outfitted with a functional Rockwell Collins system. A second aircraft is expected to have installation complete next month.