Kuiper made a splash at APEX Global Expo this year, showing up with its first customer in hand. Starlink also always grabs a lot of attention. But it was the quieter conversations away from the main floor that were, as always, most interesting.
China
China Eastern launches streaming IFE on its newest C919
The ninth C919 for China Eastern arrived last week, carrying a bit of a passenger experience boost. It is the first C919 for the carrier to feature a streaming entertainment solution on board.
ESAs, China, and the future of inflight connectivity
Depending on who you ask – and I asked several people at at Aircraft Interiors Expo 2024 last month – ESAs are the best way forward for inflight connectivity, or a compromise that come up short for airlines.
SES Open Orbits brings multi-constellation, multi-orbit Ka-band connectivity together on a global scale
SES will bring together a collective of Ka-band capacity providers under its Open Orbits program, providing a new type of competition in the global inflight connectivity market.
Going offline? Viasat targeted for Chinese sanctions
Viasat is a target of Chinese sanctions, which could knock some airlines offline in and over the region.
China, Las Vegas feature in Gatwick summer 2024 slot allocations
Norse Atlantic may bring its flying longboats to Las Vegas this summer. The route is noted in the initial slot allocations for Gatwick, released today.
Rolling delays hit inflight connectivity over China
When it comes to inflight connectivity growth opportunity China is hard to ignore. It is a massive market, but one with almost no short-haul aircraft carrying Wi-Fi hardware on board. And despite repeated promises that the online world is finally ready to imminently take flight, at least one supplier is finally backing off the hype and recognizing significant additional delays in getting its systems off the ground.
Does ATG have a future in commercial aviation?
Cellular-based air-to-ground technologies brought inflight internet to thousands of aircraft and millions of passengers, first in North America, then in Europe and beyond. And while the technology continues to grow in some markets, some suppliers are more skeptical of its continued value, at least for commercial airlines.
Viasat secures 737 type certification in China
Viasat continues to expand the scope of its inflight connectivity offering in China. The company announced this week it secured a Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) Validation of Supplemental Type Certificate (VSTC) to install its advanced Ka-band satellite connectivity system on the Boeing 737NG aircraft series.
Sichuan Airlines taps Viasat for inflight connectivity
Sichuan Airlines selected Viasat to provide inflight connectivity, in partnership with AeroSat Link and China Satcom. The deal represents Viasat’s first connected airline customer in China.