Little deals matter, too. Italian leisure carrier Neos is the latest carrier to choose an inflight wifi connectivity solution. The carrier picked Viasat’s Ka-band system to operate on its trio of 787 Dreamliners.
Norwegian upgrades European wifi with a Freemium play
Short on the heels of announcing its long-haul fleet is getting new and better inflight wifi service Norwegian is also upgrading the legacy installs with a new, faster offering, though higher speed options carry a charge.
Air France Connect activates on single-aisle fleet
Inflight wifi connectivity is now live on the Air France A320 family of aircraft. The service is delivered by Global Eagle with Orange acting as the integrator and ISP for the connection.
More free inflight entertainment on American, United
More media is now free on flights across North America. Announcements from United Airlines and American Airlines this morning will bring complimentary live television and streaming music to millions more passengers each year.
Garuda, Inmarsat ink contract on GX inflight wifi
Indonesian national carrier Garuda is expanding its inflight wifi commitment with Inmarsat’s GX Aviation solution. The move follows the selection earlier this year by Citilink, an LCC carrier in the Garuda Group, to install the same kit. The signed contract also quashes any hopes Global Eagle still had of resuscitating its deal with the carrier.
JetSuiteX going online with SmartSky wifi
JetSuiteX sees spectacular passenger satisfaction scores, but one small gap in the offering: Inflight wifi connectivity is not available on the carrier’s Embraer 135 fleet. That will change in Q4 2019 as the company rolls out the SmartSky ATG connectivity solution across its aircraft.
Ball Aerospace successfully tests phased array antenna with Telesat LEO satellite
Score another successful test of existing antenna hardware on the new, LEO satellite technology. This time it is Ball Aerospace and its electronically steered flat panel kit linking up with Telesat’s LEO 1.
Bringing Artificial Intelligence to ATC: Huge promises, challenging timelines
Urban air mobility – flying taxis – will revolutionize personal transport. But the projected volume of traffic is simply too much for humans to effectively manage. Artificial Intelligence systems aim to solve that problem.
PaxEx Premium: Seeking a structural shift
Gogo's operational structure is set to change. CEO Oakleigh Thorne has long hinted at adjustments he wants to make. The shifts were previously associated with discussions around potential change of ownership or debt refinancing. While those options remain on the table the moves will be made now, PaxEx.Aero has learned. Company employees were informed of the changes this week.
PaxEx Premium: Iridium sees a shift with NEXT constellation completion
After nearly three billion dollars invested and eight successful launch missions the Iridium NEXT constellation is nearly complete. In just a couple weeks the final swaps will take place and the full complement of 66 NEXT satellites will be online. For Iridium the milestone brings a dramatic shift in business plans and economics. CEO Matt Desch is clear that reducing CapEx is a key near-term goal and that the company will remain focused on its niche markets, "If we can offer that service at 22-100kbps with a very small antenna that can be installed into a small drone or an automobile or a sensor in the ocean, that will expand the market tremendously. That is not a market that anyone is talking
about. We believe Iridium NEXT and Certus is best positioned to deliver on that." But he also makes clear that neither of those plans is truly absolute. Expect to see Iridium "bleed into some things" that don't truly fit the mold. Inflight services is one vertical where Certus will likely disrupt the status quo.









