Hughes Networks is in on the Airbus HBCplus program, the next step for an MoU announced a year ago. Amazon’s Kuiper constellation also intends to participate, signing a MoU with the airframer to join once its constellation is in service.
Both of those were reasonably expected to occur. The more surprising news from Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg last week was Airbus announcing that Viasat is no longer offerable in the program. Existing aircraft will continue to be served, but no future orders will be accepted.
That’s a major change considering that the lion’s share of existing HBCplus commitments were to the Viasat (f/k/a Inmarsat GX Aviation) program. And raises questions about how the satellite company plans to move forward with its constellations overall, as well as how Airbus plans to support connectivity more broadly given the goals of the HBCplus program.
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