Airbus announced plans to add the Chinese Spacesail (Qianfan) LEO constellation to its HPCplus portfolio, opening the door to conversations about how else it might end up in service for airlines.
IFC
Riyadh Air Taps NSG for A321neo Inflight Internet
Riyadh Air’s A321neo fleet will fly with Neo Space Group’s inflight internet service when they are delivered later this year.
Ryanair Ready for Wi-Fi, Refuses to Pay For It
As Elon Musk and Michael O’Leary trade barbs online over potential inflight internet offerings the Ryanair boss is clear: He wants internet on the planes, so long as he doesn’t have to pay for it.
KLM Flips Some Wi-Fi to Free
KLM passengers will have free inflight Wi-Fi across a large swath of the carrier’s network starting this week.
Edelweiss Spiffs Up Cabins in A350 Refresh
Swiss leisure carrier Edelweiss will update its A350 interiors, bringing a host of passenger-focused upgrades to the fleet. Among the new-to-Edelweiss options are a premium economy cabin and free inflight wi-fi for all travelers.
Lufthansa Group Shifts 850 Aircraft to Starlink
Lufthansa Group will fit its entire fleet with Starlink’s inflight internet service, adding another 850-ish planes to the SpaceX backlog, with the first aircraft expected to be online by the end of the year.
Eutelsat Adds 340 Satellites to OneWeb Refresh Backlog
Eutelsat will replace another 340 of its OneWeb satellites in the years ahead, with a couple shifts from the original constellation build.
Completing the JetBlue 25for25 Challenge: Some Numbers and Reflections
Like a couple thousand others I completed the JetBlue 25for25 promotion last year. But was it worth the investment?
Gogo Completes 5G Testing, Onboards First Customer
Gogo’s 5G inflight connectivity network is ready to serve paying customers.
Astrova Tops 100 Programs Committed
Astrova, the newest inflight entertainment offering from Panasonic Avionics, now holds contracts to fly on more than 100 airline programs, just three years after its launch.