After 18 months of work the J-Air E190 fleet operating for Japan Airlines is fully fitted with 2Ku inflight internet from Intelsat. To celebrate, the regional carrier will make the high speed service on board – sufficient for streaming video – complimentary for passengers later this summer.
We are looking forward to everyone experiencing this service and are excited about welcoming more passengers aboard J-AIR flights.
– Shunsuke Honda, President of J-AIR
Free Wi-Fi on domestic routes is not new for JAL’s operations. The carrier switched from a freemium model to just free in 2017. But with the 2Ku installs on the E190 fleet the carrier is now pitching the service as capable of supporting streaming media on board:
To commemorate this milestone, J-AIR will launch the “J-AIR Unlimited Video Streaming Service” from July 12 to September 30, the first for a Japanese airline. This service is made possible with the cooperation of Intelsat, allowing passengers to watch video streaming onboard the Embraer 190 aircraft (E90). In addition to the existing inflight internet services that enable the use of the internet, email, and social networking services through inflight Wi-Fi, passengers can now enjoy unlimited video streaming for free during the service period, making their flight experience even more comfortable.
While the promotion on J-Air indicates an expiry of 30 September 2024, the company also suggests it will grow, rather than shrink the free offering on board. To that end, “JAL Group plans to further enhance the in-flight Wi-Fi service by increasing the speed of connectivity on domestic flights and offering free access on international flights in the near future.”
Extending the free offering beyond the domestic market would be a major competitive shift in the Japanese IFC market. And it comes as the carrier boosts its deployment of Intelsat’s connectivity solutions. JAL is in the process of upgrading its 737NG and 767 aircraft to the 2Ku solution. The carrier’s 737 MAX deliveries from 2026 are expected to carry the Gilat (f/k/a Stellar Blu) Sidewinder terminal on board, allowing for LEO or GEO coverage.
While those aircraft typically fly domestic routes, last summer Intelsat’s Dave Bijur suggested that, while the planes are focused on domestic operations today, “we’re going to start to see some more overwater operations, to Korea and other regional international markets,” in the future. Those regional international flights will also from a boost in available Ku-band capacity, thanks to JSAT-1C’s increased capacity in the region.
Whether the free service also extends to long-haul routes, with aircraft typically flying the Panasonic Avionics kit, remains to be seen.
More on JAL’s inflight internet adventures:
- Intelsat, JAL partner on LEO/GEO connectivity
- JAL plans boost for inflight Wi-Fi service
- JAL confirms 2Ku deployment on J-Air E190 fleet
- What’s under that radome?
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