Intelsat, operator of the world’s largest integrated satellite, terrestrial network and leading provider of Inflight Connectivity  services, along with LATAM Airlines Group announced Intelsat’s connectivity service will be installed in its fleet of Airbus narrow body aircraft including A320ceo and A320neo variants, based in Chile, Ecuador, Peru and Colombia. The installations will include up to 160 total aircraft and will take three years to complete. Approximately 70 new-delivery aircraft are expected to be installed with Intelsat’s 2Ku system by Airbus, prior to delivery to LATAM, at its manufacturing sites in the U.S. and Europe. When completed the entire fleet of LATAM narrow body aircraft will be served by Intelsat’s IFC service.

“We have worked closely with Intelsat to deliver the best connectivity experience on our aircraft based in Brazil, but we know our customers in Spanish-speaking markets want the same onboard experience. Today’s announcement is the first step on that journey, as we aim to deliver the best connectivity service experience in the region using Intelsat’s 2Ku system,” said LATAM’s Vice President of Clients, Paulo Miranda.

“At Intelsat, our mission is to provide quality, reliable connectivity for work and entertainment which is essential for airline partners and passengers alike,” commented Dave Bijur, senior vice president of Commercial for Intelsat Commercial Aviation. “LATAM is an important customer to us and we look forward to providing their passengers across South America with the exceptional customer service not just today and tomorrow but for decades to come.”

With an initial $2B investment, Intelsat is building the world’s first global unified network to support the next generation of global mobility. This includes a new fleet of software-defined satellites (SDS) to meet airline passenger demand for streaming-quality inflight connectivity. Intelsat brings airlines the scale and flexibility they depend upon to deliver outstanding passenger experiences at any point in their route or network.