Viasat, Inc., a global leader in satellite communications, and Deutsche Telekom, announced today a ground network expansion for Viasat’s award-winning European Aviation Network (EAN) to further support in-flight broadband service in the Eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea. Set to meet growing demand from airline passengers, three new ground stations are now operating in the region to complement more than 300 ground network antenna sites already set up across Europe. These sites will provide enhanced capacity to EAN’s existing satellite coverage.
The enhanced capacity is particularly beneficial for passengers flying to and from Cyprus with the award-winning Greek airline AEGEAN. The airline launched its in-flight connectivity service, powered by EAN, in 2022 to enhance its onboard passenger experience; since early this year, AEGEAN is offering free Wi-Fi access to all its passengers.
To date, more than one million passengers have enjoyed the in-flight connectivity service since launch. The service is being installed on AEGEAN’s Airbus A320 and A321s, covering both existing aircraft and upcoming deliveries.
Shameem Hashmi, VP, Aviation Strategy at Viasat, said: “EAN continues to deliver a great in-flight connectivity solution for certain fleets operating in Europe and we’re proud to augment the satellite capacity for passengers travelling to and from Cyprus with AEGEAN. We’ve been thoroughly impressed by AEGEAN’s commitment to enhancing its passenger experience however possible. We know that reliable, high-speed broadband connectivity at 30,000 feet is crucial, and now, passengers travelling on every domestic route offered by AEGEAN can benefit.”
Rolf Nafziger, Senior Vice President of Deutsche Telekom Global Carrier, said: “With Viasat, we launched the European Aviation Network with a vision to bring outstanding passenger connectivity to Europe’s aviation industry. It is amazing to see it grow from strength to strength in terms of customers and passenger usage. One of EAN’s key advantages for airline customers is that it’s future-proof as we can adapt and expand our ground network at any time based on actual requirements. We proved this a couple of years ago with the North Sea expansion, and once again now, when EAN’s latest customer AEGEAN had such a need, which we were able to fulfil together with Viasat and Deutsche Telekom’s subsidiary in Greece, Cosmote.”
Dimitris Gerogiannis, Chief Executive Officer at AEGEAN, said: “The cooperation with EAN is a significant milestone for AEGEAN as it enabled us to further accelerate our product and offer an enhanced and always connected in-flight experience. With this new infrastructure advancement, we can now offer the same seamless in-flight connectivity offered in all our network flights, also for the flights to and from Cyprus, that occasionally have faced some slower speeds. Offering high-speed connectivity to every passenger, on each of our flights, fulfils our promise to all passengers traveling with AEGEAN and I am really pleased that through our partnership with Viasat and Deutsche Telekom, we are able to keep you all connected in the air.”
EAN is a unique example of European technological and regulatory leadership, which allows travelers in Europe to benefit from an advanced in-flight connectivity (IFC) experience for most intra-European flights, including broadband services that support high bandwidth demanding applications such as streaming and real-time applications. EAN combines Viasat’s S-band satellite coverage with a network of complementary ground components operated by Deutsche Telekom.
The EAN service utilizes small, low weight and low drag terminals installed on an aircraft, enabling substantial cost savings while supporting sustainability initiatives.
About Viasat
Viasat is a global communications company that believes everyone and everything in the world can be connected. With offices in 24 countries around the world, our mission shapes how consumers, businesses, governments and militaries around the world communicate and connect. Viasat is developing the ultimate global communications network to power high-quality, reliable, secure, affordable, fast connections to positively impact people’s lives anywhere they are—on the ground, in the air or at sea, while building a sustainable future in space. On May 30, 2023, Viasat completed its acquisition of Inmarsat, combining the teams, technologies and resources of the two companies to create a new global communications partner.
Copyright © 2024 Viasat, Inc. All rights reserved. Viasat, the Viasat logo and the Viasat signal are registered trademarks of Viasat, Inc. All other product or company names mentioned are used for identification purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective owners.
About AEGEAN
AEGEAN and its subsidiary Olympic Air carried 15.5 million passengers in 2023 and offered a total of 18.5 million seats. The domestic and international network for the year 2023 covered 180 destinations in 49 countries with 307 routes from the company’s 10 bases in Greece and abroad, with a fleet of 76 aircraft including the brand-new Airbus A320 and A321 neo. AEGEAN was awarded, for the 12th consecutive year and 13th time in the last 14 years, as the best regional airline in Europe by the Skytrax World Airline Awards. AEGEAN is the leading Greek airline, member of STAR ALLIANCE, and one of the most eminent companies in Greece. With a strong international presence, AEGEAN was established in 1999 and within nearly 25 years managed to win its position in the aviation sector as one of the most successful and fast-growing regional airlines. AEGEAN has been listed on the ATHENS Stock Exchange since 2007 and recent turnover exceeded 1.3 billion.
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Press Release Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to the safe harbors created under the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements include, among others, statements related to the features and performance of the EAN connectivity solution; and the benefits to airlines and passengers of the EAN connectivity solution. Readers are cautioned that actual results could differ materially and adversely from those expressed in any forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ include: risks associated with the construction, launch and operation of the satellite(s) used to supply these services, including the effect of any anomaly, operational failure or degradation in satellite performance; contractual problems; product defects; manufacturing issues or delays; regulatory issues; changes in relationships with, or the financial condition of, key suppliers; technologies not being developed according to anticipated schedules, or that do not perform according to expectations; and other factors affecting the aviation sector generally. In addition, please refer to the risk factors contained in our SEC filings available at www.sec.gov, including our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date on which they are made. We undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements for any reason.
Featured image credited to AEGEAN
