Gogo announced that it has received a bid award letter from Vietnam Airlines to provide in-flight connectivity services on Vietnam Airlines’ fleet of Boeing 787 aircraft and a majority of Vietnam’s Airbus A350 aircraft.
The aircraft will be outfitted with a mix of Inmarsat’s new GX Aviation Ka-band service and their proven SwiftBroadband connectivity. The parties are currently negotiating a definitive agreement, with the GX service currently expected to launch in the second half of 2015.
Vietnam Airlines is taking delivery of 787 and A350 aircraft in 2015.
“Gogo continues to gain momentum with the global expansion of our connectivity service. This partnership with Vietnam Airlines will mark many firsts for Gogo, notably the first airline commitment to Inmarsat’s GX Aviation broadband connectivity and Gogo’s first Airbus A350 aircraft and Boeing 787 service commitment,” said Gogo’s president and CEO, Michael Small. “We look forward to working with Vietnam Airlines and our other partners to provide a unique in-flight experience for their passengers.”
“GX Aviation is gathering momentum fast. The first satellite is in operation and the other two satellites are awaiting launch to support a global commercial service expected at the end of June 2015,” said Leo Mondale, President Aviation, Inmarsat.
As the technology challenges are now largely met, we are able to enter into firm contracts with airline customers, and it is particularly exciting to have Vietnam Airlines, who are expanding rapidly in the Asian market, as our GX Aviation launch customer. We are very pleased to support Vietnam Airlines as they upgrade their fleet and their service to their passengers, who are increasingly demanding the type of connectivity they enjoy on the ground.”
Vietnam Airlines
Vietnam Airlines (VN) is the flag carrier of Vietnam. It is headquartered in Long Bien District, Hanoi, with hubs at Noi Bai International Airport and Tan Son Nhat International Airport.
The airline flies to 52 destinations in 17 countries, excluding codeshared services. It is a member of Skyteam.
