Aegean’s in-flight wifi offering officially enters service today. The system, powered by Inmarsat‘s European Aviation Network (EAN), is live on seven aircraft and will be active across the full A320 and A321 fleet by the end of 2025.
We are very happy to offer Europe’s most advanced inflight broadband to our passengers. This exciting milestone is part of our continued efforts to develop the AEGEAN service offering for passengers and strengthen our competitive position…
– Dimitris Gerogiannis, Chief Executive Officer at AEGEAN
Aegean passengers will receive 10 minutes of complimentary access on board. From there a pair of paid options are available. The “text and surf” package offers basic network usage while the “streaming” option adds capability to watch videos or listen to audio online.
News of the Aegean fleet being fitted with the EAN hardware first broke last November. The service plans also match the reports from that time.
The Aegean EAN deployment also leverages the work of Display Interactive for creation of the portal interface. The customized offering allows passengers to select a wifi package, as well as delivering a rich entertainment platform using their personal devices.
Audio and video content – music, series, documentaries, cartoons, games, daily news, etc. – are available in flight, as is real time travel information.
Philippe Carette, President of Inmarsat Aviation, highlighted the increased demand his company has seen for in-flight connectivity, especially as travelers return to the skies in the COVID-19 era. EAN experienced record demains in 2021, according to Inmarsat, “with take-up rates substantially higher than before the pandemic.” Carette continued, “We are delighted that it will be available on AEGEAN flights, as part of the airline’s impressive efforts to offer a truly world-class passenger experience.”
Carette also highlighted the speed of deployment for the service, which is an interesting choice given the 3+ year timeline to fit a relatively small fleet.
Rolf Nafziger, Senior Vice President of Deutsche Telekom Global Carrier, spoke to the scalability of the EAN platform, allowing Aegean to “provide unbeatable connectivity to Aegean passengers today, and for many years to come.”
Inmarsat also notes Greece’s role in providing ground infrastructure for its satellite network, including the EAN teleport.
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