Ethiopian Airlines will offer inflight broadband to passengers on it’s upcoming A350-1000 aircraft.

The equipment chosen will be supplied GX Aviation from Inmarsat, and has been selected through the Airbus Airspace Link HBCplus programme.

As one of the launch airlines for inflight connectivity through Airbus’ HBCplus programme, Ethiopian Airlines will benefit from a more streamlined, efficient order process.

The first of the airline’s new Airbus A350 is set to be delivered in the Third Quarter (Q3) of 2024, with passengers able to benefit from GX Aviation’s world-class connectivity technology. This supports the airline’s Vision 2035 Strategy which focuses on expanding its fleets, enhancing its passenger experience and maintaining its leading position in the airline industry.

Regarding the new service, Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO Mesfin Tasew said, “Connectivity is a crucial part of our services and products; and bringing Inmarsat’s best-in-class GX Aviation service to our passengers, as part of Airbus’ HBCplus programme, is a major step forward. We want to give our passengers the possibility to stream, surf, and chat from thousands of feet in the air, no matter where their route or destination is. Inmarsat’s seamless, truly global inflight connectivity will be vital to deliver this. We look forward to a very successful partnership with Inmarsat and Airbus, now and in the years to come.”

Niels Steenstrup, President, Aviation, Inmarsat, said: “We were selected as the first managed services provider (MSP) for the Airbus HBCplus programme last year, with a scope that includes connectivity, digital portal services and ISP capability. The fact that we have already been selected by two leading airlines is a great achievement and we are excited about delivering our award-winning GX Aviation inflight broadband to Ethiopian Airlines’ passengers starting from next year. This will enable them to stream videos, browse the internet, shop online, enjoy social media and more, all from the comfort of their seats and using their personal devices.”

Andre Schneider, Airbus VP Cabin and Cargo Programme, said: “We are delighted that Ethiopian Airlines has selected our agnostic and flexible high-bandwidth connectivity solution – HBCplus. This is further endorsement from our valued airline customers of the confidence they place in Airbus to devise and integrate enhanced inflight capabilities for their passengers to experience.”