Enggang Air to have first aircraft with operational SwiftBroadband

This is not the latest news, but from the first day at Singapore Airshow in February. I thought I'd put it here for fun. We stretched out and strove as hard as we could to get it done... now that it's done, we haven't had time to rest or look back on it... Schedules piling up!

Enggang Air Service ties up with DNK for SwiftBroadband for Business Jets in Indonesia.

Singapore, 14 February 2012.

Leading Indonesian business aviation operator PT Enggang Air Service (EAS) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Indonesian Inmarsat-4 service provider PT Dini Nusa Kusuma (DNK). Under the agreement, a SwiftBroadband airborne satellite communications suite is to be installed on one of Enggang Air Service’s aircraft by mid-2012 and become the first Indonesian aircraft to undergo the approval processes required by Indonesia’s civil aviation regulators, before expanding the coverage throughout its growing fleet. The SwiftBroadband suite will provide Wi-Fi internet connection and telephone services to the aircraft passengers.

Enggang Air Service CEO Donnie Armand (left) and
DNK CEO Thomas Widodo during the signing ceremony
(Photo: DNK)

“Our clients are increasingly reliant on staying connected anywhere and at any time, including throughout their journey. The ability to connect to the internet is going to be expected, our clients can connect using their Wi-Fi enabled personal electronic devices such as their Blackberries, iPads, and other smart devices,” said CEO of Enggang Air Service, Mr. Donnie Armand.

“The business aviation sector is enjoying massive growth, but that also means that competition will only grow and closing the connectivity gap on top of our high quality service will put us ahead of the competition.”

Passengers flying on Enggang Air Service aircraft fitted with the service will have the ability to access the internet the same way as accessing Wi-Fi hotspots on the ground, and make calls using the on board telephone system provided.

“This is an important milestone for DNK, and the Indonesian aviation sector. Air travel in Indonesia will no longer be a communications black hole for airline and business jet passengers. The signing of the MOU is just the beginning of a series of work to be done with Enggang Air Service to get it installed and approved by the air transport authority,” said DNK Solutions Manager for Aerospace & Defence Services, Mr. Gerry Soejatman.

“We are currently the only service provider that fully comply with Indonesia’s telecommunications regulations to provide Inmarsat-4 services, we are very pleased to work together with Enggang Air Service as the first Indonesian air operator to want to offer onboard connectivity with us”

After the ceremony. (L to R):
Gerry Soejatman (DNK Solutions Manager - Aerospace & Defence), Donnie Armand (Enggang Air CEO), Thomas Widodo (DNK CEO), Roland Adrie (DNK Project Manager - Aerospace & Defence)

Missing from the photos are Okki Dharma (DNK Product Manager - Aerospace & Defence) who was giving himself a coffee break and Alex Anwar, our venerable CTO, who couldn't make it to the event due to unforeseen circumstances. I've lost count on the sleepless nights to get it to that stage (which explains how scruffy I looked), but it was worth it. Now, the work continues!