Iridium Satellite, ARINC and ICG Partner to Supply Satellite Voice Phone Solution for Cathay Pacific
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BETHESDA, Md. - January 31, 2007 - Iridium Satellite announces that Cathay Pacific Airways of Hong Kong will be the first commercial airline customer to adopt an Iridium-based global satellite voice solution developed by ARINC and International Communications Group (ICG).
ARINC will install the Iridium Satellite voice telephone solution on seven Cathay Pacific Boeing 747-200 series aircraft under a Supplemental Type Certificate developed in cooperation with the carrier. ICG is supplying the compact avionics package and antenna for the system.
"ARINC's new satellite voice service takes advantage of Iridium's global coverage and dependable high-quality voice connectivity to provide uninterrupted seamless air-to-ground communication for Cathay Pacific flight crews," said Greg Ewert, executive vice president of Iridium Satellite. "ARINC and ICG have partnered to bring this exciting new Iridium-based communication capability to the international air carrier community."
ARINC conducted an aircraft survey and directed the first Cathay Pacific avionics installation at a facility in Xiamen, China. With Iridium voice service, Cathay Pacific flight crews will have significantly improved clarity and reliability in communicating with their Integrated Operations Center (IOC) from remote areas of their routes.
"When our freighters are out of VHF range, flight crews will just pick up a phone and make a call to the IOC or vice-versa," said Russell Davie, flight operations general manager, Cathay Pacific. "They may want to request a diversion or alert ground support to some maintenance issues. The ability to communicate efficiently will translate into significant savings that will pay for our investment in the equipment."
Randy Pizzi, ARINC vice president and managing director, Asia Pacific said, "We are extremely pleased to be selected by Cathay Pacific as a one-stop solution for Iridium services, and we look forward to working closely with them through project completion."
Cathay Pacific Airways operates a fleet of 18 freighters to 28 global destinations, and has ordered eight new aircraft for 2007-2009 delivery. The company recently announced plans to build and operate a third air cargo terminal at Hong Kong International Airport, underlining its aggressive expansion of cargo services. Cathay Pacific was voted Skytrax Airline of the Year in 2005. For more information, visit the Web site at http://www.cathaypacific.com/cgo.
About Iridium Satellite
Iridium Satellite LLC (www.iridium.com) is the only provider of truly global satellite voice and data solutions with complete coverage of the earth (including oceans, airways and Polar Regions). Iridium delivers essential communications services to and from remote areas where no other form of communication is available. The Iridium constellation consists of 66 low-earth orbiting (LEO), cross-linked satellites and has multiple in-orbit spares. The constellation operates as a fully meshed network and is the largest commercial satellite constellation in the world. The Iridium service is ideally suited for industries such as maritime, aviation, government/military, emergency/humanitarian services, mining, forestry, oil and gas, heavy equipment, transportation and utilities. Iridium provides service to the U.S. Department of Defense. The company also designs, builds and sells its services, products and solutions through a worldwide network of more than 100 partners.
About ARINC
ARINC Incorporated is the world leader in transportation communications and systems engineering. The company develops and operates communications and information processing systems and provides systems engineering and integration solutions to five key industries: airports, aviation, defense, government, and surface transportation. Founded to provide reliable and efficient radio communications for the airlines, ARINC is headquartered in Annapolis, Md., and operates key regional offices in London and Singapore, with over 3,200 employees worldwide. ARINC is ISO 9001:2000 certified. For more information, visit the ARINC Web site at www.arinc.com.
About ICG
International Communications Group, Inc. (ICG) of Newport News, Va. is a recognized industry leader in the development of mobile communications integration, automation and management systems. ICG provides products and solutions for aeronautical voice and data services to the general aviation and air transport industries. Implementation of ICG devices provides a comprehensive and often custom solution for any size airframe or application. Products include: CTU systems, corded and cordless handsets, single- and multi-channel Iridium systems and data management devices. Markets for ICG products are the aerospace, military and maritime industries. ICG is a major Iridium value-added manufacturer (VAM) and value-added reseller (VAR) and has developed a wide range of Iridium-based solutions and products for mobile satellite communication.
Press Contacts:
Liz DeCastro
Iridium Satellite LLC
+ 1 (301) 571-6257
liz.decastro@iridium.com
Jim Rhodes
Rhodes Communications
+1 (757) 451-0602
jrhodes@rhodescomm.com
