Inmarsat Inks Distribution Deals with Honeywell and Satcom Direct

Inmarsat’s London Headquarters. Photo: Inmarsat

Satcom Direct and Honeywell will sell Inmarsat’s new SwiftJet IFC service for business jets, Inmarsat revealed Oct.19. SwiftJet offers seamless global coverage and maximum speeds of 2.6Mbps, up to six times faster than Inmarsat’s existing L-band business aviation connectivity service, SwiftBroadband (SBB). It will enter service in the first half of 2023 and customers are now able to engage with their preferred distribution partners, as well as aircraft manufacturers and installation providers, to commence discussions on price plans, service contracts, upgrade feasibility and more.

SwiftJet uses advanced hardware from Inmarsat’s partner Honeywell, which can be equipped on a broad range of aircraft and also supports cockpit and safety services. Existing customers of Inmarsat’s SBB service will benefit from a natural upgrade path through minimal changes to the installed equipment, while new customers will experience the same ease of installation as with any Inmarsat L-band terminal.

“The business aviation market has entered an exciting new period of growth, with flight volumes now higher than pre-pandemic levels. However, expectations around the digital onboard experience have also evolved considerably and the market has challenged us to amplify L-band capabilities. This ensures business travellers can enjoy faster connections across more devices whenever and wherever they fly without compromising on key characteristics of resilience, reliability and availability,” Kai Tang, Inmarsat’s Head of Business Aviation, said in a statement.