Intelsat, JAL partner on LEO/GEO connectivity

Japan Airlines will continue its inflight connectivity partnership with Intelsat, adding service on its 737 MAX fleet from 2026. Unlike the rest of JAL’s short- and mid-haul fleet, however, the 737 MAX will not fly with 2Ku. Instead, the carrier will fly with the Intelsat ESA on board, offering multi-orbit services.

We are proud to have been among the first airlines in the world to offer free service for all passengers flying on our domestic routes starting in 2017 and look forward to the greater speed and reliability benefits the new multi-orbit service will bring to our customers.

– Junko Sakihara, Deputy SVP, Customer Experience Division at Japan Airlines

---

---

With the ESA-based connection on board JAL will enable connectivity via Intelsat’s GEO satellites as well as the LEO services from the Eutelsat OneWeb LEO constellation. Speaking to the dela, Dave Bijur, Senior Vice President for Commercial Aviation at Intelsat notes that JAL’s passengers “will soon benefit from multi-orbit connectivity that will provide the same fast and dependable internet access they enjoy at home, thanks to wide coverage and low latency.” As with service on other domestic JAL aircraft fitted with Intelsat services, connectivity on the 737 MAX, the service is expected to be complimentary on board.

Read more: Talking terminals: Multi-beam options for multi-orbit support

Perhaps even more significant is that the ESA, developed in partnership with Stellar Blu, will be installed at the factory by Boeing rather than after delivery. This is the first customer confirmed to take advantage of the line-fit option for the terminal; the companies describe it as “one of the first” to take the kit in this manner, so others are also in play. Stellar Blu previously shared it was working towards the Boeing line-fit offering, and the timing aligns with those expectations.

---

---

JAL holds orders for more than 20 737 MAX planes. They will join the carrier’s existing 737 and 767 aircraft with 2Ku on board. JAL’s subsidiary J-AIR is also in the process of installing 2Ku on its E190 fleet.

JAL is one of two airlines Intelsat announced deals with on the first day of Aircraft Interiors Expo 2024 in Hamburg. The company also confirmed that its 2Ku service is the solution of choice for Condor’s new A320neo family of single-aisle planes.

More news from Aircraft Interiors Expo 2024

• Expliseat launches new economy class seat with Hop! E190 contract
• Back to basics: New business class seat designs vie for Crystal Cabin Award honors
• Upstarts get creative in economy class for 2024 Crystal Cabin Awards
• In search of sleep: innovation targets snoozers for 2024 Crystal Cabin Award
• AIX Preview: New IFE ideas set to fly
• Increased supplier option a Plus
• Anuvu validates dual-panel Ka-band antenna with in-flight testing
• IndiGo taps AirFi for on-board entertainment trial
• Condor taps Intelsat for inflight internet
• Intelsat, JAL partner on LEO/GEO connectivity
• Eclipse snags 50+ plane connectivity retrofit deal
• Thales FlytEDGE delivers a new paradigm for in-flight entertainment
• AJet to offer inflight internet via TCI
• Introducing Helix, the new single-aisle economy class seat from Collins Aerospace
• Feeling the squeeze: 10-abreast A350 moves closer to mainstream
• Dropping out of the IFE race
• Inflight Dublin snags order-to-seat deal with AirAsia
• Starlink sees Qatar Airways, airBaltic both online by end of year, architecture changes beyond
• Southwest shows off customizations for new Recaro seats
• Airbus adds to HBCplus backlog
• ThinKom sees trio of innovations driving growth
• Collins, Panasonic launch Maya: next-gen business class concept seat
• SES Open Orbits brings multi-constellation, multi-orbit Ka-band connectivity together on a global scale
• Shifting install sequencing
• AirBaltic takes Pratt to task for engine issues
• ESAs, China, and the future of inflight connectivity