Helping Airlines Make New Connections, Panasonic Brings Inflight Connectivity to its 1000th Aircraft

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Feb 01, 2016, 07:00 ET

LAKE FOREST, California, February 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Panasonic Avionics today confirmed that over 1,000 commercial aircraft are operating on its Global Communications Services network. Panasonic's worldwide Ku-band satellite network today delivers broadband communications services and global live television over 99.6 percent of all commercial aviation routes.

A China Eastern Airlines' B777-300 is the 1,000th commercial aircraft operating on Panasonic's Global Communications Services network. (PRNewsFoto/Panasonic Avionics Corporation) (PRNewsFoto/Panasonic Avionics Corporation)

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160201/327810 )

The 1,000^th aircraft was a B777-300 that was line fit at the OEM and delivered in mid-December to China Eastern Airlines. Since then, Panasonic has equipped an additional 25 aircraft, bringing the total number to 1025.

Over 50 percent of all airlines with connected aircraft have chosen Panasonic Avionics. The company has approximately 70 airlines and 3,000 aircraft committed to its global broadband connectivity service. It expects to add an additional 12,000 to its network by 2025.

Paul Margis, President and Chief Executive Officer for Panasonic Avionics said, "Our connectivity solutions combine operation benefits with an elevated passenger experience. Reaching the benchmark of 1,000 connected aircraft shows that our customers realize Panasonic's compelling business proposition. Over the next 12 months our focus will be on helping customers better utilize our network to improve efficiency and the way they can engage with their passengers."

In 2016, the company projects to add another 600 aircraft to its network, and 34 percent of these installations will take place at the OEM during production. Today, Panasonic is the only inflight connectivity provider that is line fit offerable at the major aircraft manufacturers.

David Bruner, Vice President, Global Communications Services for Panasonic Avionics said, "This year, we will introduce several new enhancements to our network, the passenger experience, and the ability of our customers to monitor their aircraft in real time."

Bruner continued, "In April, we will introduce high throughput satellite (HTS) service over North America and the Atlantic. Europe and the Middle East will follow later that year, and by mid-2017, we will complete our HTS network, offering over 200 megabits per second in regions that cover 80 percent of all traffic routes."

"Leveraging our unique HTS design, we'll be able to tailor the inflight experience to match passenger expectations for bandwidth and give them even more access to the services that they use every day on the ground. We will also be able to expand the number of channels available in our global live television service, which continues to become increasingly important to our customers and their guests," added Bruner.

In conclusion, Bruner also stated that 2016 will be an exciting year for airlines that wish to leverage connectivity for operational efficiencies. "We are actively working with our customers on several key operational initiatives. Whether it's highly accurate, real-time weather and EFB applications that help pilots make better informed inflight decisions, global flight tracking, real time remote monitoring and data analysis or even telemedicine, we are committed to helping our customers realize the real value of the connected aircraft."

About Panasonic Avionics Corporation

Panasonic Avionics Corporation is the world's leading supplier of inflight entertainment and communication systems. The company's best-in-class solutions, supported by professional maintenance services, fully integrate with the cabin enabling its customers to deliver the ultimate travel experiences with a rich variety of entertainment choices, resulting in improved quality communication systems and solutions, reduced time-to-market and lower overall costs.

Established in 1979, Panasonic Avionics Corporation, a U.S. corporation, is a subsidiary of Panasonic Corporation of North America, the principal North American subsidiary of Panasonic Corporation. Headquartered in Lake Forest, California with over 4,100 employees and operations in 80 global locations, it has delivered over 8,000 IFE systems and 1,000 inflight connectivity solutions to the world's leading airlines. For additional information, please visit http://www.panasonic.aero.

SOURCE Panasonic Avionics Corporation