Rockwell Collins, a pioneer in the development and deployment of innovative aviation solutions, has been awarded a major contract by Air Astana, the national carrier of Kazakhstan, to provide onboard broadband connectivity.
 
Air Astana said it will install the associated Inmarsat Global Xpress (GX) high speed connectivity system on its fleet of Boeing 767 airliners starting from September.

This will make Air Astana one of the world’s first airlines in the world to go operational with the GX system, said a statement from the Kazakh carrier.
                                                                                                       
With this move, Air Astana passengers will soon become among the first in the world to get internet access on board using personal computers, tablets and smartphones.

“As a customer oriented airline, Air Astana is always looking to improve the passenger experience on the ground and in the air. We’re very excited about the new in-flight connectivity opportunities that GX reliably provides to Air Astana passengers,” remarked Andrey Gulev, the commercial engineer manager at Air Astana.

“After carefully reviewing a number of competing offers, Air Astana’s decision came down to Rockwell Collins’ ability to provide a cost-effective solution that was tailored to meet all our needs,” stated Gulev.

Jeff Standerski, senior vice president, Information Management Services (IMS) for Rockwell Collins, pointed out that this GX Aviation service opens up new possibilities for Air Astana and its customers

"Air Astana’s passengers will soon experience what only a handful of others around the world will - the fastest and most reliable inflight connectivity available. For Air Astana, this service offers the opportunity to develop new offerings that go far beyond what’s possible today," he added.

The new service will be available to Business and Economy class passengers on all three of Air Astana’s Boeing 767s.

Using their own devices passengers will be able to surf the internet, use various instant messenger applications and check e-mails. First aircraft installation will commence in September 2016 and will be followed by system installation on the other two aircraft in March and September 2017.-TradeArabia News Service