Hawaiian Airlines will offer fast, free in-flight WiFi on its long-haul flights from 2023. The carrier announced a deal with Starlink to deliver the internet connectivity service on its A330, A321neo, and 787 aircraft.
IFEC
JSX selects Starlink for in-flight WiFi
SpaceX signed the first airline customer for its Starlink satellite service. JSX will offer in-flight WiFi powered by the low earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellation, with the first plane expected to be equipped later this year.
Jet It picks SmartSky for in-flight WiFi service
The Jet It fleet will soon offer in-flight WiFi service to its fractional owners. The company selected SmartSky to provide internet service on its fleet of HondaJet and Gulfstream G150 aircraft.
American selects suites for new 787-9 design
American Airlines plans a dramatic revamp to its 787-9 fleet. The carrier will introduce new premium cabin seats on board, including sliding door suites, according to documentation shared with employees.
Alaska Airlines launches $8 flat-rate in-flight WiFi
Fast in-flight WiFi. Fair pricing. But not quite free. That’s the proposition now on offer from Alaska Airlines, as it sets a flat-rate, $8 per flight price point for internet service across its fleet.
Hughes shows off flat panel antenna for OneWeb service
It is not a product, at least not quite yet. But Hughes is showing off a cool new flat-panel antenna* that will soon be used for enterprise connections to the OneWeb low earth orbit satellite constellation.
Air Canada to fly the A321XLR
Air Canada announced plans to acquire 26 A321XLR aircraft, updating its long-haul offerings. The aircraft will be used for flights within North America, as well as some Transatlantic markets, pending approval from Transport Canada regulators.
Is Starlink finally ready for commercial flight?
“We are already on airplanes. We are testing the antenna and working towards certification.”
With that statement at the Satellite 2022 conference in Washington, DC this week, Jonathan Hofeller, VP of Starlink Commercial Sales kicked off another round of speculation about what the future of in-flight connectivity will be.
OneWeb secures launch plan with SpaceX, capacity deal with Speedcast
OneWeb secured a contract with SpaceX, allowing the company to resume its launch efforts. The deal comes several weeks after the company lost access to Soyuz rockets as part of the collateral damage from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Gilat’s ESA shows promise with successful Ka-band test
Gilat’s newest ESA is ready to take to the skies. The company announced a breakthrough in electronically steerable antenna (ESA) technology for in-flight connectivity (IFC) with the conclusion of flight tests conducted by Airbus Defence and Space.