Intelsat, operator of the world’s largest integrated satellite and terrestrial network and leading provider of inflight connectivity , has again been chosen by long-time partner, Alaska Airlines, to provide inflight connectivity on 105 of the company’s new fleet of Boeing 737MAX aircraft.
Alaska Airlines’ new 737MAX deliveries will be fitted with Intelsat’s inflight connectivity and streaming entertainment system – which is already featured on over 150 aircraft in Alaska’s fleet. This agreement represents Alaska’s continued confidence in Intelsat’s 2Ku inflight connectivity systems for its mainline fleet and is the largest expansion of the IFC relationship between the two companies to date. Onboard, Alaska guests can expect an even better user experience with complete access to everything on the internet, including streaming sites.
The companies have partnered to deliver industry-leading inflight connectivity and entertainment to Alaska’s guests since 2010 across the airline’s fleet of Embraer 175, Boeing 737NG and Airbus A320 family aircraft. The two companies have a long history of innovating together, having launched the first ever, free to everyone, inflight messaging service in 2017 and Intelsat continues to support Alaska’s “most movies in the sky” offering with over 700 free movies and TV shows available for guests to stream to their own devices. Intelsat-equipped aircraft deliveries have already commenced and will continue through 2024 across Alaska Airlines’ new 737-9s.
“Alaska is committed to delivering a connected experience that gives their guests a high-speed internet service and high-quality content. I couldn’t be happier that they chose Intelsat as their partner,” said Dave Bijur, senior vice president of commercial in Intelsat’s commercial aviation division. “Our continuous launch of satellites over the next several years, starting with Intelsat 40e next year, puts us in a position to deliver reliability, redundancy and speed – all of which maximize guest satisfaction.”
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 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.
