The 2014 purchase of VR firm Oculus by Facebook was supposed to mark the beginning of VR systems permeating our lives, including on aircraft. Success, however, continues to prove elusive.
IFEC
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.
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.
Quick Connect: Citilink goes live on Inmarsat GX
Call it one of the fastest inflight wifi deployment project in history. Inmarsat announced today that its GX Aviation product is live for customers on Citilink Indonesia. The project, spearheaded by Indonesian telecoms provider Mahata Aero Teknologi (MAT), took just six months from the signing of a contract to activation on the first aircraft.
Lounge access, booze and crew bases: Cuts galore at Norwegian
Cost-cutting at Norwegian kicked in to high gear this month. The carrier is trimming expenses in several areas as it seeks to shore up its books. The cuts affect passengers and crew alike, demonstrating just how critical and broad the efforts are. The carrier hopes that the moves will improve profitability and reduce the cost […]