In a nod to a more generous in-seat entertainment experience, United Airlines plans an AVOD upgrade for at least part of its single-aisle fleet. In a message to employees on Thursday Chief Customer Officer Toby Enqvist indicated that an interior retrofit is on the way for “our older narrow-body airplanes, putting in new bins, AVOD, and new seats.”
IFEC
Gogo, TMobile crack down on WiFi freeloaders
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.
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.
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.
JetBlue boosts coach experience for London service
Better meals. Better entertainment. And the same comfortable legroom you’ve come to appreciate. That is the pitch JetBlue is making to economy class passengers as it offers further details about the cabin configuration on its A321LR fleet and plans for London flights later this year.
Technology and Towers: SmartSky’s new CTO and the transition to operations
Getting a new ATG network into service was never going to be easy. Can new CTO David Classen push SmartSky across the finish line, addressing the tower technical challenges along the way?
JetBlue schedules A220 first flights
Passengers looking to fly on JetBlue’s new A220 now have a date and destination. Flight will depart from Boston later this month.
FlightPath3D tops 3,000 installs, prepares for future growth
Airlines may have slowed cabin upgrades during the pandemic, but FlightPath3D managed to emerge with a growing number of aircraft installed and high expectations for the coming year. The company believes a 30%+ increase of equipped aircraft is viable, along with some updated tech to help airlines derive ancillary revenues from the system.
GTCR boosts Gogo stake
GTCR, a leading private equity firm, will convert all of its $105.7 million principal amount of Gogo’s 6.0% Convertible Senior Notes due 2022 into shares of Gogo’s common stock. The deal will see GTCR receive 19.1 million shared of Gogo stock, giving the company a 28.6% ownership stake in Gogo.