A big, fat zero. That’s the number inflight wifi connectivity provider Gogo reported this morning. But it is the good kind of zero: None of its 2Ku systems have failed from deicing fluid so far this season.
IFC
Norwegian launches free wifi across the Atlantic
Free wifi will soon join low fares on Norwegian’s transatlantic flights. The carrier’s installation of inflight connectivity on its 787 Dreamliner and 737 MAX fleet is underway, some 27 months after the deal was first announced.
PaxEx Premium: Grounded in the rush for Indian inflight connectivity
The paperwork is finally submitted: India is ready to get online in the sky. The Ministry of Communications issued the Flight and Maritime Connectivity Rules, 2018 in an official filing on 14 December 2018, codifying the rules around delivery of mobile internet services on aircraft and ships. With the new rules defined service providers and airlines can finally move forward with fitting the planes. So, who will be first??
PaxEx Premium: Connectivity challenges in Brazil
Uncertainty around the future of Avianca Brasil is growing as the company faces financial turmoil. Citing an inability to strike a "friendly agreement" for renegotiating aircraft leases the carrier sought protection under Brazilian bankruptcy laws this week. The move comes on the heels of lessors seeking the return of 11 aircraft for non-payment. The potential loss of aircraft is bad for the company and for its passengers, of course. It could also see a long-stalled inflight connectivity deployment finally terminated.
Gogo claims a win in de-icing fluid battle
Cautious but confident, Gogo issued a report this morning declaring success in mitigating the deicing fluid issues on its 2Ku inflight wifi antenna hardware. More than 2,600 potential deicing events showed zero affected aircraft so far this winter.
Inmarsat wins in UK, Viasat vows to continue legal battle over EAN
Inmarsat scored another legal victory for its EAN service but Viasat refuses to give up the fight. Expect plenty more wrangling as this drama continues to unfold.
Fiji Airways selects Panasonic for entertainment, connectivity on new 737 MAX fleet
The official unveiling is set for Monday in Nadi but Fiji Airways cannot wait to tease some details around its new 737 MAX aircraft. Among them, confirmation that the inflight entertainment and connectivity will be provided by Panasonic Avionics. The partnership was reported to PaxEx Premium subscribers last month.
PaxEx Premium: Challenged to the core
It was supposed to be a massive shift of market share in the inflight connectivity world. Former Panasonic Avionics executive David Bruner claimed significant numbers of Southwest Airlines aircraft would see the Global Eagle kit uninstalled, replaced with PAC's solution, along with the ongoing line-fit deliveries. Instead Global Eagle is replacing PAC on the small number of 737s that were installed. And that might not even be the largest challenge Panasonic faces today.
In the couple months since PAC's partnership announcement with Inmarsat the company has pushed a two pronged approach to its future business. One one side sits the core competencies of its inflight entertainment business. On the other, driven by many of the new faces in the company's leadership, comes a shift towards a services operation. Both sides face challenges.
Digging in to Global Connectivity Revenues
A pair of recent earnings reports left open questions about just how many aircraft are generating how much inflight connectivity revenue. Both Gogo and Inmarsat clarified those positions, providing better context around their numbers.
PaxEx Premium: A different Vision for Delta’s IFE
Last Friday's news of a new wireless IFE offering on Delta's A330neo fleet suggested a high likelihood of the Gogo Vision Touch product expanding beyond the carrier's A220 fleet. New - and unconfirmed - details now suggest another, somewhat unexpected vendor in play.









