Honeywell Aerospace is entering the airlines’ cabin services market as a value-added reseller for Inmarsat’s GX Aviation in-flight broadband service, a move that will better deliver the full breadth of Honeywell’s Connected Aircraft offerings to customers around the globe.
Honeywell will remain the exclusive provider of the company’s JetWave™ hardware and GoDirect® software and services, allowing complete, nose-to-tail solutions that integrate passenger and aircraft data.
As part of the move, Honeywell and Inmarsat will continue to work closely on pursuing new customers and serving existing ones in the satellite communications space. With the rapid growth of Inmarsat’s GX Aviation Ka-Band high-speed, in-flight Wi-Fi service in recent years, Inmarsat and Honeywell have created a large installed base and driven global, industrywide demand.
The two companies have delivered a reliable in-flight internet solution for airliners and business jets that is strong enough to power passengers’ preferred entertainment solution with speeds up to 50 Mbps. Passengers can stream their favorite television shows, and pilots have up-to-the-minute weather information at their fingertips.
“A shift is underway in the aviation industry focused on connecting passengers and aircraft systems themselves anywhere in the globe with high bandwidth and secure connections to improve the flight experience and the aircraft efficiency,” said Ben Driggs, president of Services & Connectivity at Honeywell Aerospace. “Today’s announcement gives us the ability to market Honeywell’s multitude of GoDirect Connected Aircraft services on top of hardware directly to airline customers. This capability builds on our existing and highly successful direct-selling of connectivity services to the business aviation market.”
This change aligns with Honeywell’s success in the business jet sector, where it has enjoyed extraordinary growth in its cabin services offering, seeing greater than 300 percent growth in subscribers over the past 18 months.
Philip Balaam, president of Inmarsat Aviation, said: “Inmarsat and Honeywell have an extremely successful track record of working together in the fast-growing in-flight connectivity market. We are delighted to now expand our partnership. Honeywell’s unique depth of experience in this field and its close relationships with airlines make the company a perfect fit as a value-added reseller of GX Aviation.”
Honeywell will continue to sell both hardware and GoDirect Connected Aircraft services to airlines, as well as continue to provide and support JetWave hardware to Inmarsat’s value-added resellers.
Honeywell Aerospace products and services are found on virtually every commercial, defense and space aircraft. The Aerospace business unit builds aircraft engines, cockpit and cabin electronics, wireless connectivity systems, mechanical components and more. Its hardware and software solutions create more fuel-efficient aircraft, more direct and on-time flights and safer skies and airports. For more information, visit www.honeywell.com
