Qatar’s World coup...

Passengers on Qatar Airways flights were able to keep up-to-date with the action from the World Cup 2022 thanks to Panasonic Avionics and Inmarsat.

Picture: Michael Regan – FIFA via Getty Images

On the ball: Qatar passengers could enjoy all the live action. Picture: Michael Regan – FIFA via Getty Images.

Panasonic Avionics’ live television service was being streamed on Qatar Airways via Inmarsat’s GX Aviation Ka-band in-flight connectivity – the first time the connectivity provider has delivered Panasonic Avionics’ live television.

Passengers were able to connect to Qatar’s ‘super Wi-Fi’ network, click on the live TV banner, and enjoy all the thrills.

The coverage was provided by Sport 24, which provided passengers with 56 live FIFA World Cup matches as well as other major sporting events directly on their personal devices.

The football action was produced by IMG and was exclusively available in-flight from Panasonic Avionics in partnership with Inmarsat.

Andrew Mohr, vice president of digital solutions for Panasonic Avionics, said: “Our live television service brings a whole new dimension to in-flight engagement, and enables passengers to catch unmissable sporting moments in the skies.

“We are honoured to be continuing our long-standing partnership with Qatar Airways by bringing this innovation to their cabins, in partnership with Inmarsat.”

Inmarsat’s Ka-band GX Aviation service already powered Qatar Airways’ ‘super Wi-Fi’ offering, enabling passengers to scroll through social media, stream movies and TV, play games and browse the web, as well as watch live sports.

William Huot-Marchand, Inmarsat Aviation’s senior vice president of in-flight connectivity, said: “Qatar Airways was the first airline based in the Middle East and north Africa to offer Inmarsat’s GX Aviation in-flight broadband service, cementing its status as a leading pioneer of technology innovations.

“We are delighted that, four years later, GX Aviation continues to lead the way for Qatar Airways, powering the connectivity for its first live television offering, which also coincides with the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.”

Sport 24 broadcasts 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, connecting airline passengers to thousands of hours of premium live content from more than 40 different global sports competitions year-round.

In September, Inmarsat was selected as the in-flight connectivity (IFC) provider for Qatar Airways’ Boeing 787-9 and 737-10 fleet, marking an expansion of its partnership with the Doha-based national carrier.

Qatar Airways provides one hour of free access to its ‘super Wi-Fi’, powered by GX Aviation, with the option to purchase full access for the remainder of each flight.

Inmarsat said it was committed to meeting the bandwidth requirements generated by the World Cup event and, alongside its partner, Safran Passenger Innovations, installed and activated GX Aviation on the first Qatar Airways 787-9 aircraft in less than five months from contract award.

Akbar Al Baker, Qatar Airways Group chief executive, said: “Over the years, Qatar Airways has pioneered a range of game-changing innovations as part of our exceptional five-star passenger experience.

“We were amongst the first airlines in the world to adopt this technology and remain the largest operator of GX-equipped aircraft in the Middle East and north Africa.

“Making ‘super Wi-Fi’ available across our fleet is an important milestone at a time when staying connected with loved ones and friends has never been more important for passengers.”

The GX network currently consists of five Ka-band satellites and will be further enhanced with the addition of seven more satellites as part of Inmarsat’s fully funded technology roadmap.

This includes two Inmarsat-6s, both of which are scheduled to enter service next year. They will be followed by three additional satellites in geostationary orbit – adding speed, capacity and resilience – and two in a highly elliptical orbit, enabling the world’s only commercial mobile broadband service for aircraft flying in higher elevations and across the Arctic.

The GX network will also play a crucial role in the ongoing growth of Inmarsat’s unique orchestra dynamic mesh network, which will bring existing geosynchronous (GEO) satellites together with low-Earth orbit satellites (LEO) and terrestrial 5G to form an integrated, high-performance solution.

Steve Nichols

Steve Nichols

Steve (BSc Hons, FIIC) is a journalist and communicator with more than 35 years' experience.