Survey data and inflight behavior both suggest strong demand for live television on board. But a couple airlines are cutting the service, at least temporarily. And it is not just about saving money on the subscription costs.
Emirates
Emirates puts Premium Economy on hold
Travelers have been waiting for years to see a new premium economy cabin arrive at Emirates. And, unfortunately, it appears the wait will stretch a bit longer. The carrier is reported to be delaying the retrofit of its existing aircraft, keeping the new cabin out of reach for passengers.
The Weekly Wrap: FlightPlan, personal screening and more!
What topics made the cut for The Weekly Wrap this week? Maryann Simson and I recap the incredible Flight Plan event organized earlier in the week by Inmarsat and APEX, health testing at the airport and more!
Emirates, Turkish Airlines slash route networks, ground aircraft
Two more large airlines announced major cuts to their route networks this weekend. Emirates will suspend all passenger service while Turkish Airlines will cut nearly all its international destinations.
Emirates expands access to India with SpiceJet codeshare deal
Emirates passengers will gain access to six new Indian destinations via its Dubai hub thanks to a new codeshare agreement with SpiceJet.
Sunrise Stretch: PaxEx Update 2019-10-18
The beginnings of Project Sunrise and extra leg room for the Kiwis. Plus more wifi (maybe) coming in China and another loyalty top tier moves further away.
Get these stories and more in this week’s PaxEx Update.
AeroMobile adds Thai, UAE partners to inflight cellular roaming
Easier access to inflight connectivity is now available to cell phone subscribers on du in the UAE or TrueMobile in Thailand, thanks to preferred roaming agreements signed with AeroMobile in recent weeks.
The Polar Connectivity Push
Emirates issued a press release touting inflight connectivity over the North Pole, which is interesting since none of the carrier’s aircraft can deliver that today and the service from Inmarsat’s GX Aviation network won’t exist until 2023. But perhaps there’s more involved in the story??
Gulf Air selects Thales, Inmarsat GX for 787-9, A321LR connectivity
Gulf Air’s newest aircraft will feature inflight connectivity from Thales InFlyt, powered by the Inmarsat GX Aviation platform. The companies announced the deal today covering twenty five planes that will fly on longer routes.
Jet Airways halts operations, continues to seek funding
Maybe it is temporary, as the airline claims. More likely it is a permanent situation. Without money or a coherent plan for recovery one thing is clear: Jet Airways is no longer an operating carrier.