Malaysia Airlines‘ upcoming fleet of 737 MAX aircraft will offer inflight internet and wireless entertainment on board, powered by Viasat. For entertainment, the carrier will deliver its MHstudio offering, with access to over 500 on-demand entertainment selections and shopping, managed on Viasat’s Wi-Fi platform. The internet service will (eventually) allow passengers to stay connected on flights across Malaysia and Southeast Asia.
By empowering passengers with the flexibility to enjoy on-demand entertainment through the new In-Flight Entertainment (IFE) system throughout their journey, this initiative represents just one facet of our ongoing commitment to innovation and continuous improvement.
– Ahmad Luqman Mohd Azmi, Chief Executive Officer of Airlines from Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG)
While the carrier previously offered in-seat entertainment on its 737-800 fleet that has been replaced by the streaming solution on board. The MAX aircraft will continue with that offering.
The company also confirms that “Malaysia Airlines will leverage Viasat’s Ka-band satellite network in the region, including, once launched and in service, ViaSat-3 APAC.” Executives have suggested of late that the company would be able to blend the Inmarsat and Viasat constellations to expand its coverage footprint and capacity. This is especially important in light of the challenges with the first ViaSat-3 satellite’s deployment and the knock on delays to the overall constellation.
But, despite suggestions of late that the merged constellation is essentially ready to go, there are technical challenges that must still be solved. The companies’ hedging on the IFC activation timeline speaks to those challenges.
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The IFE/C system will be installed on the Malaysia Airlines 737 MAX 8 aircraft at the Boeing factory. The first aircraft is expected to be delivered later this month. Malaysia Airlines Group currently has orders for 25 MAX 8 and options for another 25.
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