For inflight connectivity, entertainment and commerce the portal is king. IAG and Immfly are teaming up to give the portal a boost across their fleet.
IAG
IAG snaps up Air Europa to boost Latin American operations
Consolidation continues in the global aviation market, this time delivering a shift in transatlantic services. International Airline Group announced this morning its intentions to buy Air Europa. The Spanish carrier will become part of the Iberia operation within IAG though remain an independent brand, at least to start. The deal is valued at 1 billion euro and full integration is expected by 2025.
A WiFi Challenger: PaxEx Update 1 Nov 2019
Can LiFi replace WiFi on board, opening up more spectrum for passengers? And can new satellite launches deliver the capacity that airlines need for inflight connectivity? Plus an expanding award chart and plans for a massive fleet expansion in India.
Vueling gets online with Inmarsat’s EAN connectivity
Flying an LCC in Europe no longer means being disconnected while in the sky. IAG’s Vueling operation soft-launched inflight wifi connectivity delivered via the European Aviation Network (EAN), powered by Inmarsat and Deutsche Telekom, on five of its aircraft earlier this month. Vueling is the third EAN airline and the first LCC with the service.
Virgin Atlantic’s incredible–and almost certainly impossible–plan to grow at Heathrow
Virgin Atlantic wants to grow at London’s Heathrow airport. A lot. This is no secret, of course. The carrier has strongly endorsed a third runway at Britain’s busiest airport for years, hoping to secure a significant boost to its landing slots portfolio should that finally come to pass. This week the company translated that drive into maps, hoping to generate public support for its plans. There’s just one problem: It is almost certainly impossible for Virgin Atlantic to deliver what it is suggesting.
IAG makes a MAX move in Paris
For roughly 30 hours this week the clouds of gloom and doom hung of Boeing’s chalet at Le Bourget. That all changed this afternoon with a major order for the manufacturer.
British Airways picks 777X as 747 replacement
The Boeing 777X folding wingtip will see plenty of action in one of the world’s busiest airports. International Airlines Group, the parent company of British Airways, announced intentions today to purchase up to 42 777X airplanes, including 18 orders and 24 options.
Inmarsat moving EAN to Luxembourg amidst Brexit concerns
A critical component of Inmarsat’s European Aviation Network (EAN) is the grant of S-band spectrum from European regulators. Rather than risking the operation with Brexit the group will rehome the EAN subsidiary to Luxembourg.
Avianca launches Inmarsat GX with free trial program
The first two aircraft in Latin America with Inmarsat’s GX Aviation inflight connectivity solution are now online. Avianca officially inaugurated the service this week, launching a two month trial period where passengers can connect for free while in flight.
China Southern quits SkyTeam, seeks stronger partnerships
SkyTeam lost its largest mainland China airline this week. China Southern announced it will quit the alliance in 2019. The non-renewal of the membership contract will see the carrier transition out of its alliance relationships in the coming year. This is not a hard stop of relations; rather, the changes are likely to roll out over time. It is also not a surprise.