Cathay Pacific Airways and Panasonic Avionics Corp., of Lake Forest, Calif., announced Tuesday the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the provision of full broadband connectivity on all Cathay Pacific and Dragonair passenger aircraft.
The final terms are still being negotiated, but the MOU allows the companies to begin developing the plan to provide connectivity for passengers together with promotional, sponsorship and e-commerce opportunities for Cathay Pacific partner brands, according to the companies.
Cathay Pacific is the first airline in Asia to announce its intention to deploy Panasonic Avionics’ Global Communications Suite broadband connectivity system. It is also the first airline globally to announce an intention to provide the solution across its full fleet. Services will launch from early 2012, subject to regulatory approval.
The Panasonic Avionics system for Cathay Pacific will include the eXConnect broadband service, eXPhone GSM phone service and a CX-branded free-of-charge entertainment portal.