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.
ESA
Gilat to acquire Stellar Blu
Gilat will acquire ESA-maker Stellar Blu, continuing the consolidation trend in the inflight connectivity world.
Shifting install sequencing
Will airlines hit their 2025 target to replace the inflight internet services on smaller planes in North America? Probably. But the sequence and timing on those appears to be shifting a bit.
ThinKom sees trio of innovations driving growth
Not content to rest on recent program wins, ThinKom outlined the future it sees for its antenna solutions.
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. This deal, however, comes with a multi-orbit twist.
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.
Viasat goes multi-orbit for maritime with NexusWave
Multi-orbit, multi-band connectivity has come to the Viasat ecosystem. Maritime is up first, setting the stage for what the aero version might look like.
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.
Gogo hits record service revenue, sees 5G slip a bit more
Gogo CEO Oakleigh Thorne did not hold back when asked about how his company’s LEO solution would compete with Starlink, even with the latter already available in the market.
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.