Inmarsat, MCN and ADCC sign Chinese aviation agreement

Inmarsat will provide aviation safety services to air navigation service providers and operators, following an agreement with Beijing Marine Communication and Navigation Company (MCN) and Aviation Data Communication Corporation (ADCC).

The Memorandum of Understanding was unveiled at ATC Global 2016 in Beijing. It outlines MCN and ADCC’s intention to offer cockpit communication services and next-generation SwiftBroadband-Safety services in the People’s Republic of China (PRC).

Inmarsat’s partnership with MCN and ADCC is expected to be finalised later this year and fits with the announcement made earlier this year of plans for an MCN and Inmarsat joint venture to provide comprehensive aircraft cabin and connectivity solutions across the PRC.

Classic Aero is a high-quality voice and data safety service currently used by most of the world’s airlines. It offers secure satellite surveillance and communications that meet International Civil Aviation Organization global flight tracking requirements.

SwiftBroadband-Safety utilises secure IP-based broadband capabilities that exceed those of other connectivity alternatives. It offers global, high-speed connectivity for cockpit and aircraft operations, with airlines benefiting from greater efficiency, reliability and capacity at a lower cost.

Otto Gergye, Inmarsat Aviation’s vice president of airline market development, said, “Inmarsat is a trusted provider of aviation safety and operational services. More than 95% of the world’s oceanic aircraft currently use our services for communication, navigation and surveillance, and we are set to achieve an important paradigm shift in cockpit communications with our advanced and highly secure new SwiftBroadband-Safety service.”

China represents one of the largest growth markets in the world for aviation, with annual growth rates of more than 5% per year. Both in-service aircraft and passenger levels are expected to more than double in the next 20 years.

Image courtesy of Inmarsat.