A new generation of satellite connectivity is planned, with the European Union mostly footing the bill. SES, Eutelsat, and their IFC customers also stand to benefit from the program.
Europe
SkyFive, Viasat ink roaming deal for air-to-ground networks
Planes connected via Viasat’s European Aviation Network or the SkyFive Saudi Arabia network can now seamlessly roam across the two regions.
Viasat, Telekom extend EAN contract
For years Viasat worked to beat the European Aviation Network, both through commercial and legal channels. Now that it owns EAN, however, the company is keen to extend and expand the offering in partnership with the terrestrial provider Deutsche Telekom.
European delay compensation rule reaches across the Atlantic
Can a foreign airline be required to pay out compensation under European laws for a delayed flight wholly outside Europe? Thanks to a recent European Court of Justice ruling, the answer appears to be yes, assuming it is connected to a European departure.
Play adds Stewart for a New York connection
Stewart International Airport in Newburgh, NY could end the year with a pair of international airlines as Iceland’s PLAY announces plans to operate this summer. That’s a huge boost for the NYC alternate.
WestJet, Transat push codeshare to US markets, with a catch
WestJet and Transat applied to the US Department of Transportation for permission to codeshare on flights between the US and Canada. The move is part of the carriers’ planned transatlantic codeshare pact announced last month.
Europe clears Alitalia debt from successor ITA
Alitalia’s obviously illegal loans from Italy won’t saddle its successor ITA as it launches in five weeks, thanks to a European Commission ruling handed down today.
Delta, airBaltic to launch codeshare partnership
Delta Air Lines plans to add more than 20 new codeshare routes in Europe, partnering with Air Baltic. The move, if approved by regulators, will see Delta’s DL code applied to flights from 16 European cities to Air Baltic’s three gateways at Riga, Tallinn, and Vilnius.
Regulators squash Transat/Air Canada merger plans
Questions about the impact to competition hampered the proposed Air Canada/Transat merger from its announcement. Ultimately they killed the deal.
Viasat buys out Eutelsat KA-SAT stake, European wholesale operations
We’re a couple years out from the ViaSat-3 satellite delivering a massive boost in Ka-band satellite capacity over Europe, but Viasat is ready to scale up its offerings on the continent. The company will buy out Eutelsat’s stake in their joint venture (“EBI”) for 140 million euro, giving Viasat full control over the wholesale business as well as the KA-SAT satellite.