The recovery of passenger traffic in the domestic US market continues to show strength. As travelers return, however, they will notice many changes to the in-flight experience. Among those changes, a shift in the way some inflight connectivity subscriptions operate.
Next Gen ATG 5G moves forward in China
Getting a 5G air-to-ground network into service in the USA is a tough task, with schedules continuing to slip and questions about the hardware involved. But in China the new services are expected to launch soon, and expand quickly. Powered by Chinese manufacturer ZTE, a new network could be online in a matter of months.
Collusion to Ecuador?? Airlines spar over slots and service
As drama around the American Airlines/JetBlue Northeast Alliance continues to swell, the battle is spilling over to an unlikely location: Ecuador. Recent requests for adjustments triggered accusations of collusion by American Airlines and JetBlue, outside the approved partnership parameters.
Inmarsat’s European Aviation Network wins big in ECJ ruling
After years of escalating appeals and conflicting decisions the European Court of Justice handed down the ultimate decision today: Inmarsat’s European Aviation Network (EAN) is legal.
Connect Airlines to launch as Porter clone
Can the US-Canada transborder aviation market handle another competitor? And can Porter Air handle a copy-cat operation at its home base of Billy Bishop Airport in downtown Toronto? Connect Airlines plans to find out later this year.
JetBlue, Qatar Airways plan earn-and-burn reciprocity with expanded codeshare
Buried in a release about an expansion of codeshare routes between JetBlue and Qatar Airways is news that the pair will also establish recipocity for frequent flyer points earning and redemption. Details are scarce, but any growth on that front should be welcome for TrueBlue program members.
Air Canada refunds (finally) coming with government bail-out
After more than a year of waiting, tens of thousands of Air Canada customers are poised to finally receive COVID-related refunds. The carrier agreed to convert outstanding credits to proper refunds as part of a C$5.8 billion financial aid package funded by the Canadian government.
IFPL and Cobalt Aerospace announce merger
Passenger interface specialist IFPL Group is expanding its portfolio of offerings with the acquisition of Cobalt Aerospace. Together, the two companies will offer customers a broader range of products and services that will allow operators to enhance their in-flight passenger experience offering.
France bans short-haul flights, minimal route impact expected
Short flights are no more in France. A new climate-focused bill is on the path to becoming finalized, and among the new policies is a prohibition on air service for domestic routes that can be served by train in less than 2.5 hours.
Where the wide-bodies are
As domestic travel demand rebounds in the US and international borders generally remain closed the US airlines are reshuffling their wide-body operations. Many routes that typically operated with a single-aisle aircraft in the before times are scheduled to see twin-aisle service in the coming months.