Airbus will add two additional airlines to its HBCplus inflight connectivity portfolio. The deals, announced at Aircraft Interiors Expo 2024 last week in Hamburg include a couple firsts for the program.
Airbus
Feeling the squeeze: 10-abreast A350 moves closer to mainstream
Wider seats have long been part of the Airbus marketing push. That messaging has, however, shifted in recent years, with a narrower seat now seen as “standard” for the long-haul fleet. Now suppliers are feeling a bit of the squeeze as well.
Condor taps Intelsat for inflight internet
Intelsat will deliver inflight internet to Condor’s fleet of new single-aisle aircraft. The A320neo and A321neo planes will offer passenger connectivity on routes across Europe and North Africa as they join the carrier’s fleet in the coming years.
Increased supplier option a Plus
Should airlines be concerned that the Airbus HBCplus program limits their options for inflight connectivity? Perhaps not, as reports suggest additional supplier optionality on the horizon.
Talking terminals: Multi-beam options for multi-orbit support
LEO-based Iis still in its early days, but the era of truly multi-orbit, multi-constellation services beckons. That next generation of services will require a new generation of hardware to unlock its full potential.
Intelsat’s CR7 completes certification flights, returns home
After six weeks in Texas the Intelsat CR7 flying test bed is back home, suggesting the certification work for its new LEO/GEO hybrid solution is ready for prime time.
Global Airlines ferries its A380 to the UK
Wannabe all-A380 operator Global Airlines moved closer to operations this week, as its first aircraft returned to Europe for additional maintenance work. But, as with most things related to Global Airlines, the process was not quite normal.
Back in the air: Intelsat’s CR7 test plane flying with production ESA on board
Intelsat’s CRJ 700 returned to the skies on Sunday with the production ready-version of the Stellar Blu Sidewinder terminal installed, enabling certification of the kit for access to both GEO and LEO satellite networks.
Aegean plans long(er) haul with A321neo shift
Aegean Airlines plans to fly a bit further from 2026. The carrier converted four of its pending A321neo orders to the long-range version of the aircraft, supporting flights up to 7.5 hours from its hub in Athens.
PaxEx Bits: Week ending 5 April 2024
Lots of cabin and connectivity news bits to catch up on as the week comes to an end…