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.
IFC
Lufthansa joins the free inflight messaging bandwagon
Lufthansa is the latest airline to add a free inflight internet tier. And, like the others, it has tied the shift to membership in its loyalty program.
Vistara makes inflight messaging free
Inflight messaging services can now be accessed for free on board Vistara’s connected fleet of 787-9 and A321neo aircraft, thanks to a partnership with the Club Vistara loyalty program
Malaysia Airlines makes Wi-Fi free on board
Malaysia Airlines is the latest carrier to make inflight Wi-Fi free to all passengers. As of 1 November 2023 the carrier will not charge any travelers on board 20 of its wide-body aircraft to access the internet.
Delta selects Hughes to complete Wi-Fi upgrades
Delta Air Lines will add diversity to its inflight internet supply and Hughes has a launch customer for its new Jupiter in-flight service offering. The two will pair up to bring Wi-Fi to more than 400 aircraft across Delta’s fleet.
SES plans mPOWER constellation expansion to counter performance problems
The SES mPOWER constellation will grow by two satellites to offset shortcomings on the initial six.
KONNECT VHTS comes online, boosting Eutelsat capacity
Eutelsat’s KONNECT VHTS satellite is now active, bringing 500 Gbps of Ka-band capacity into service over Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East
Fast and free: Updated Wi-Fi part of Air Canada’s A321 refresh
Air Canada took another step forward on its inflight entertainment and connectivity journey over the weekend, as the first A321 with updated systems on board returned to service. The fully retrofit interior offers a bevy of improved passenger experience touchpoints, and more customer-friendly pricing as well.
Trans-Exec picks Starlink for biz jet internet
Trans-Exec Private Jets will install Starlink for in-flight internet. The SpaceX satellite-based service will be installed on the company’s fleet of Gulfstream aircraft.
Porter Airlines expands Viasat commitment for 20 more E195-E2 jets
Porter Airlines will extend its partnership with Viasat for inflight internet. The next 20 Embraer E195-E2 jets will fly with the Viasat hardware on board, joining the initial 30 which also have the satellite wifi service installed.