Honeywell, Inmarsat And Kymeta Collaborate On Advanced, Fast In-flight Internet Connectivity System

- Small, compact antenna to be developed for commercial aircraft and business jets

- Design will reduce drag and weight to lower fuel and maintenance costs

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Apr 14, 2015, 07:00 ET

HAMBURG, Germany, April 14, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Honeywell Aerospace (NYSE: HON), Inmarsat (LSE:ISAT.L) and Kymeta, a company that develops innovative flat-panel antennas for satellite communications, are working together to design, create and test a new, higher-speed Ka-band wireless antenna for business and commercial aircraft customers around the globe. The new antenna will have unique and advanced capabilities that will bring faster connectivity and a higher-quality broadband service to the aircraft.

The smaller and more compact design will allow the antenna to be installed on a wider variety of aircraft, including smaller business aviation aircraft. The flat-panel design is lighter and will reduce weight and drag on the aircraft, in turn reducing fuel and maintenance costs.

"Honeywell's work with Inmarsat on GX Aviation is at the forefront of bringing high-speed, global connectivity services to airlines and operators," said Jack Jacobs, vice president of Marketing & Product Management at Honeywell Aerospace. "Having Kymeta and Inmarsat aligned with us ensures we stay forward-looking with new antenna technology that will be more efficient and compact, providing customers with even faster global in-flight connectivity."

All three companies will work together to bring this new, faster, lightweight antenna to the business and commercial aviation market. Kymeta will deliver its mTenna™ antenna products to Honeywell, which will be responsible for testing and integrating the antenna into its JetWave aviation product line. JetWave is the family of satellite communications hardware that exclusively supports Inmarsat's GX Aviation service.

"Honeywell and Inmarsat changed the connectivity landscape in 2012 when they announced GX Aviation with the goal of bringing reliable, high-speed connectivity to the skies," said Dr. Nathan Kundtz, Kymeta's president and chief executive officer. "Now, with mTenna technology from Kymeta, Honeywell's terminal solutions and Inmarsat's global service portfolio, we will be able to expand upon Honeywell and Inmarsat's commitment to high-speed global aviation connectivity."

"The demand for constant high-speed connectivity in the aviation industry in this day and age is non-negotiable. Business jets, commercial airliners and their passengers want access to a quality broadband service at all times," said Leo Mondale, president, Aviation, at Inmarsat. "Inmarsat has a proven history of delivering a trusted, reliable service to the cockpit. We're applying this knowledge to our GX Aviation services, scheduled to be available later this year, giving our customers a high-quality, consistent and reliable broadband service to the cabin as well.

"This will be the first truly flat-panel antenna for aviation that will offer great performance at the right price," Mondale added. "The relationship between Honeywell and Kymeta has taken a great technology and turned it into a product ideal for aviation. We're very excited to be working with these companies to include this innovative product in the Inmarsat product road map and to bring it to the market."

Mondale said the agreement represents Inmarsat's commitment to continuous improvement of technologies and delivering lower-cost, lighter and more-efficient next-generation hardware and services to operators.

Keeping Connected With Honeywell

Global demand for fast, in-flight connectivity continues to grow, and Honeywell provides a comprehensive range of products and services for air-to-ground and satellite-based solutions to meet the needs of passengers, pilots, and maintenance and operations centers worldwide.

Honeywell is well-positioned to bring together its electrical, mechanical and connectivity solutions with its proven systems integration capabilities to create a connected aircraft for general aviation, business and commercial fleets that delivers the most expansive, consistent, high-speed connectivity network in the world for passengers, pilots and operators alike.

Supporting Resources

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Read more about GX Aviation

About Honeywell Aerospace
Honeywell Aerospace products and services are found on virtually every commercial, defense and space aircraft, and its turbochargers are used by nearly every automaker and truck manufacturer around the world. The Aerospace business unit develops innovative solutions for more fuel-efficient automobiles and airplanes, more direct and on-time flights, safer flying and runway traffic, along with aircraft engines, cockpit and cabin electronics, wireless connectivity services, logistics, and more. The business delivers safer, faster, and more efficient and comfortable transportation-related experiences worldwide. For more information, visit www.honeywell.com or follow us at @Honeywell_Aero and @Honeywell_Turbo.

Honeywell (www.honeywell.com) is a Fortune 100 diversified technology and manufacturing leader, serving customers worldwide with aerospace products and services; control technologies for buildings, homes and industry; turbochargers; and performance materials. For more news and information on Honeywell, please visit www.honeywellnow.com.

About Inmarsat
Inmarsat plc is the leading provider of global mobile satellite communications services. Since 1979, Inmarsat has been providing reliable voice and high-speed data communications to governments, enterprises and other organizations, with a range of services that can be used on land, at sea or in the air. Inmarsat employs around 1,600 staff in more than 60 locations around the world, with a presence in the major ports and centres of commerce on every continent. Inmarsat is listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE: ISAT.L). For more information, please visit www.inmarsat.com

About Kymeta Corporation
Kymeta Corporation is commercializing a new, innovative software-enabled metamaterials-based electronic beam forming antenna for satellite communications. Kymeta has been named by CNBC in its annual list of the world's 50 most disruptive companies for two consecutive years. Kymeta was selected by Future in Review as a 2014 FiRe Starter company.

Boats. Planes. Cars. If it moves, Kymeta is the antenna solution that will keep it connected. Anywhere.

The company is based in Redmond, Washington and operates on a worldwide basis.

Honeywell and the Honeywell logo are the exclusive properties of Honeywell, are registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and may be registered or pending registration in other countries. All other Honeywell product names, technology names, trademarks, service marks, and logos may be registered or pending registration in the U.S. or in other countries. All other trademarks or registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Copyright 2015 Honeywell.

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SOURCE Honeywell Aerospace