15 October 2019: Lufthansa Technik has signed a five-year agreement with Air Esurfing Information Technology to provide aircraft with first-ever inflight connectivity solution for the Chinese market. Further contract partners include Honeywell (antenna hardware provider) and China Satcom (satellite provider).
Lufthansa Technik will design and certify Ka-band-based connectivity retrofit packages for both the Airbus A320ceo and A320neo aircraft families as well as the Boeing 737NG and 737MAX. The company will also join forces with Air Esurfing Information Technology Co., Ltd. to offer the respective CAAC validated EASA Supplemental Type Certificate (VSTC) to support Chinese airlines. Moreover, Lufthansa Technik will take care of material supply and material handling services for the installation of the packages that can be tailored to each of Air Esurfing's airline customers and their specific requirements.
"As an in-flight solution provider on connectivity, the Company's strategic cooperation with Lufthansa Technik signals a new chapter in our history, as we take a big step forward empowering Chinese airlines with high-speed in-flight Internet services," said Herman Guo, Chief Executive Officer of AirNet, Air Esurfing's parent company.
"The partnership with Air Esurfing is a significant step in Lufthansa Technik's global focus to meet a promising market demand in China," said Gerald Steinhoff, Vice President Corporate Sales Asia Pacific of Lufthansa Technik. "As a joint force, we shall exploit the full potentials of the Chinese market."