The Business of Passenger Experience
Another quarterly earnings report from Inmarsat and another bullish report on inflight connectivity revenue. The group reported IFC revenues more than doubled to $101.3m for the full year. As revenue and install count continues to grow Inmarsat is optimistic, though the underlying numbers suggest the potential remains unrealized.
Want to fly Delta’s brand new A330neo? The first (currently) scheduled opportunity will be the July 1 departure from Seattle to Shanghai, China.
India is one of the fastest growing aviation markets in the world and, somewhat surprisingly, one of the least connected in flight. That will soon change, however, thanks to the recent publication of new government regulations. Indian aviation is about to get online in a big way.
Is there a secret to better financing of inflight connectivity solutions? Indonesia's Mahata Aero Technology (MAT) is the latest to take that plunge, with an arrangement to cover the costs for Garuda and Citilink. The deal relies on partnerships with suppliers Lufthansa Systems, Lufthansa Technik and Inmarsat, along with what MAT Executive Director Iwan Setiawan describes as "a unique business model" that is proving successful in its preliminary state.
As the installed aircraft count ticks higher for Viasat so, too, does the share of revenue the company realizes from that segment. The growth rate will slow in the coming year as the American Airlines fleet completes its conversion (more than 450 aircraft installed to date) but CEO Mark Dankberg believes there is still runway left in the market. Even if it is going to be a little later than previously expected.
Rolling out a new inflight entertainment solution is not easy. For Delta Flight Products and Gogo the unveiling of Gogo Vision Touch on Delta’s A220 fleet this week is a major milestone achievement. And it mostly works.
Some good news for Gogo and its 2Ku airline customers as it reaches closure on an outstanding maintenance issue. This should ease the backlog as additional aircraft can once again be installed for three airline customers.
Viasat added a pair of new orders from existing customers United Airlines and Aeromexico today, continuing its growth in the inflight connectivity market.
Fresh off the announcement of its first commercial airline customer, upstart inflight connectivity provider SmartSky secured additional funding to complete its nationwide network deployment. The company announced a $104mm investment, bringing the total investment for the company to nearly $350 million.
More media is now free on flights across North America. Announcements from United Airlines and American Airlines this morning will bring complimentary live television and streaming music to millions more passengers each year.
