Inmarsat has signed a master distribution agreement (MDA) with Honeywell for GX Aviation services.

Under the terms of the agreement, Honeywell will partner with Inmarsat to bring the benefits of GX to the business aviation market.

The Inmarsat Global Xpress satellite system is scheduled for global commercial service launch in late 2014, with service introduction for business aviation customers available in Q1 2015. The Ka-band satellite network will offer unprecedented data rates of up to 50mbps to the cabin and global coverage, all backed by Inmarsat’s quality standards of reliability and performance.

The signing of this agreement with Honeywell represents a strong endorsement of Inmarsat’s GX service innovation for the business aviation sector, and is underscored by Honeywell’s commitment to purchase GX capacity for 5 years and reserve capacity up to 2021.

Leo Mondale, Managing Director of the Inmarsat Global Xpress Programme, said: “Our on-going partnership with Honeywell will enable us to develop a world-leading capability in business aviation. By combining their industry-leading experience with GX we ensure that business aviation customers will rapidly benefit from the introduction of our new generation connectivity services.”

Carl Esposito, Vice President – Marketing, Strategy and Product Management for Honeywell Aerospace, said: “Honeywell’s extensive product and services offerings in the Business Aviation space, coupled with the unprecedented aircraft connectivity capabilities of Inmarsat’s GX network set the stage for a step change in Business Aviation connectivity services.”