With Northern Pacific aiming to launch trans-pacific flights via Anchorage later this year, what should passengers expect on board? Interiors work on the first aircraft is not yet complete, but the company shared some details on seating, entertainment, and dining options travelers can expect to see in service.
Main Content
Alitalia branding to fly again
Alitalia appears poised to return from the dead. Again. ITA Airways indicated the legacy branding will return to service.
Breeze puts A220 flights on sale
Looking to grab a ride on the brand new A220s from Breeze? The company loaded its initial plans for the planes, though not the longer-haul routes where the aircraft will truly shine.
PaxEx Premium News
SmartSky announces ATG availability for regional airlines
Building on its announcement last month at NBAA, SmartSky took advantage of the APEX EXPO event in Long Beach, CA this week to formally launch business operations for commercial regional airlines across the Continental United States (CONUS). The company’s high speed air-to-ground network provides a new alternative for airline looking to bring high performing in-flight connectivity to the smaller aircraft in their fleet.
OneWeb, GDC Technics partner on new ESA solution
OneWeb and GDC Technics signed a Joint Development Agreement to deliver a new in-flight connectivity terminal. The new terminal, based on the electronically steered antenna technology developed by Ball Aerospace, will enable airlines to connect their aircraft, passengers, and crew over OneWeb’s Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite communication network.
Making the Business (Aviation) case for LEO at Gogo
“We are in active conversations in the LEO and ESA world.”
That comment from Gogo CEO Oakleigh Thorne earlier this summer kicked off significant speculation on what the next next generation (after Gogo 5G) will look like.
IFEC
Streaming IFE, softer seats feature on Northern Pacific’s new interiors
With Northern Pacific aiming to launch trans-pacific flights via Anchorage later this year, what should passengers expect on board? Interiors work on the first aircraft is not yet complete, but the company shared some details on seating, entertainment, and dining options travelers can expect to see in service.
Breeze puts A220 flights on sale
Looking to grab a ride on the brand new A220s from Breeze? The company loaded its initial plans for the planes, though not the longer-haul routes where the aircraft will truly shine.
Inflight connectivity soars higher than ever
When the Airbus Perlan Mission II takes flight later this year it will soar higher than ever. And it will do so with a new in-flight connectivity link on board.
Intelsat rounds out ‘5G’ constellation with two more satellites ordered
The next generation of Intelsat’s network gained two more satellites this week. The company announced plans to deploy Intelsat 41 (IS-41) and Intelsat 44 (IS-44) in geosynchronous orbit by 2025, expanding coverage, capacity, and – most importantly – flexibility of the company’s network across the globe.
Gogo 5G test network now online
The first seven towers of Gogo’s new 5G air-to-ground network are now online. The company announced the successful activation of its testbed as “on schedule, and on budget” as of the end of 2021.
Airlines, Airplanes & Airports
Alitalia branding to fly again
Alitalia appears poised to return from the dead. Again. ITA Airways indicated the legacy branding will return to service.
Breeze puts A220 flights on sale
Looking to grab a ride on the brand new A220s from Breeze? The company loaded its initial plans for the planes, though not the longer-haul routes where the aircraft will truly shine.
Northern Pacific unveils aircraft, addresses service launch challenges
Can a pretty new paint scheme make the difference for Northern Pacific as it pushes forward with plans to connect Asia and the Lower 48 via Anchorage? Probably not, but the plane still looks good and CEO Rob McKinney is talking up the plans in more detail now.
Norse Atlantic secures initial US operating authority
Norwegian startup Norse Atlantic will soon be able to operate flights to the United States. The carrier received tentative approval from the US Department of Transportation for its requested access to the US market.
Boom fires up the engines on XB-1 supersonic demonstrator
The Boom Supersonic XB-1 engines are installed and running. The company released an update on the flight test program progress, including details on the installation and first test runs of the three General Electric J85 engines on board.
Seating & Cabin
Unum Aircraft Seating launches with new flat bed offerings
For nearly two decades Chris Brady led Acro Seating. As a co-founder and former CEO, Brady navigated the many challenges of bringing new seating projects to life. Now he aims to do so again with the launch of Unum Aircraft Seating and a pair of lie-flat bed options for the business class cabin.
Delta disses discount airlines, pursues premium passengers
Can Delta Air Lines continue to deliver outsized revenue gains in its premium cabins? The carrier appears focused on that segment, especially in the long-haul markets, even as domestic LCC competition heats up.
New lavs coming to the 737
New, modular lavatory designs will arrive on the Boeing 737 family, thanks to a new, long-term contract secured with Collins Aerospace.
Loyalty
JetBlue adds Mosaic+, free upgrades for 2022 elites
JetBlue will make its TrueBlue Mosaic elite status more rewarding in 2022. Upgrades are coming for members, including an option for highly coveted Mint upgrades as part of a newly established Mosaic+ tier of the program.
United snags Virgin Australia as a partner, displacing Delta
Virgin Australia and United Airlines secured a new partnership for connections between the United States and Australia. The deal, effective from April 2022, sees Delta Air Lines drop from the role it held over the past decade.
ITA Airways joins SkyTeam, replacing Alitalia
SkyTeam officially welcomes ITA Airways as a member airline today. The Alitalia replacement joins the alliance two weeks after launching flights and a new loyalty program for customers.
PaxEx Update
The Weekly Wrap: GX+ North America and Spirit’s New Loyalty Program
In this edition of The Weekly Wrap we’re chatting with Philip Balaam, president of Inmarsat Aviation, about the company’s tie-up with Hughes to create a new in-flight connectivity solution, GX+ North America. Plus FreeSpirit, OpenIFC, and showers in the sky.
APEX Weekly Wrap: Airline CEO Shuffles and Using Data to Manage Risk Volatility
This episode of the APEX Weekly Wrap reflects on a week of senior staffing news, following announcements that both British Airways CEO Alex Cruz and Virgin Australia CEO Paul Scurrah will step aside, and way more.
Swanky cabins for space or safety: The Weekly Wrap
Swanky space cabins and safer airline cabins lead this week’s episode, while more options for buying blocked seats are reaching the market. Add some more nutritional food on board and this Weekly Wrap is ready to fly!
Long live the Queen: The Weekly Wrap
Some 747 farewells transitioning into possible electric aircraft growth. Plus an interview about the upcoming FTE/APEX Virtual Expo and lots more!
Connections and Connectivity: The Weekly Wrap
This week we’re talking about a big new partnership connecting passengers JetBlue and American Airlines, as well as how Middle East Airlines will be getting connected with Panasonic Avionics.