Gulf Air, the national carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain, has taken delivery of its first A330-200 aircraft fitted with a new Sky Hub that offers full broadband connectivity and live TV.The new Global Communications Suite built by Panasonic offers passengers the opportunity to access internet, mobile phone services and live TV services. Gulf Air will offer two-way broadband connectivity at speeds of up to 50 Mbps, via an in-flight Wi-Fi network.The addition of live TV streaming will mean that travellers will be able to watch football matches while in the air thanks to the addition of IMG Media’s Barclays Premier League channel. The service will also stream news channels such as BBC World News, BBC Arabic and Euronews.

Business travellers will be able to send and receive emails while watching live-news and stock market updates at 35,000 feet.Panasonic’s mobile voice and data service, in collaboration with AeroMobile, also enables passengers to use their mobile phone, Smartphone or BlackBerry device to call, text, email or browse the internet and use other applications throughout the flight.It is another important milestone in our customer service journey as we unveil our latest in-flight entertainment system, ‘Sky Hub’ on our fleet, said Gulf Air Chief Executive Officer Mr Samer Majali.

We are bringing to you, for the first time in the world, a fully integrated broadband connectivity offering high speed internet, very fast mobile data speeds, voice over the internet (VOIP), streaming videos and the world’s first in-flight live TV satellite stream across continents.I am sure this avant-garde, cutting-edge technology will fundamentally change our passengers’ communications and entertainment experience onboard setting a new standard for in-flight entertainment.Gulf Air has confirmed that the Panasonic Global Communications Suite will be installed across the entire fleet of aircraft in the future.Founded in 1950, Gulf Air operates the largest network of flights to and from the Middle East. The airline’s current network includes flights to Europe and Asia, connecting 51 cities in 33 countries, with a fleet of 34 aircraft.