Broadband Wi-Fi for Lufthansa’s Ebola Emergency Services Aircraft

Panasonic Avionics is providing critical communications on board a high-tech flying hospital used to transport Ebola patients from Africa to overseas care facilities. An Airbus A340-300 aircraft, which is chartered from Lufthansa by the German Foreign office, has been converted into a hospital aircraft with isolation chambers for patients diagnosed as suffering from the disease. The aircraft is equipped with Panasonic’s eXConnect system, offering the on-board crew and medical staff direct Wi-fi internet access and email services for essential air-to-ground communications during the emergency flights. The flights will be operated by volunteer pilots and flight attendants and will be available for any country which needs to transport Ebola patients. The aircraft is due to be available for its missions starting in December. The number of fatalities from the virus has now surpassed 5,400.