A surprise twist in the Hong Kong protests as Cathay CEO Rupert Hogg resigns. Plus RFID for bags, VR for passengers and new aircraft types launching service soon. A busy week with plenty to uncover in this edition of PaxEx Update!
IFEC
Virtual reality entertainment gets more funding, more inflight trials
Virtual reality as an inflight entertainment option continues to attract investors and airlines. Inflight VR and SkyLights made news this week on that front, with new cash and inflight trials secured.
Spirit’s WiFi Install Woes
Fast wifi, fleet wide and flying in about a year. The original announcement between Thales Inflyt and Spirit Airlines laid out an aggressive plan to fit the low cost carrier's fleet with inflight connectivity service. More than a year later, however, only a handful of planes have the system installed and it is not active for passengers on any of them. What happened and when will it get better??
This content is for subscribers only.
Register
Register
Already a member? Log in here
Air Canada announces new A220 routes, unveils interior
Air Canada’s first A220 is working through the Airbus FAL in Mirabel as it nears delivery. The carrier released details on the interior design this week, as well as two new routes the type will launch next Spring.
United Airlines to update MAX order
United Airlines appears poised to adjust its 737 MAX order book, as well as change the way the aircraft interiors are fitted. Multiple internal documents reveal an updated plan that should have passengers happy on board.
Small Sats get a launch boost from SpaceX, Ariancespace
Cutting the cost for delivering satellites into space is a key factor to increasing capacity and improving coverage in the inflight connectivity market. SpaceX and Arianespace both announced programs today that will help on this front.
Tariffs, 737 MAX, satellite crash hit Astronics earnings
How many different ways can one company get beat up in the inflight entertainment and connectivity market? Astronics faces headwinds in its Aerospace market on three fronts. The 737 MAX grounding has costs on both new production and retrofit efforts, while the loss of Intelsat 29E grounded a connectivity program indefinitely. Add in tariffs related to China suppliers that the company is paying and the numbers are going to be rough in that segment for the foreseeable future.
This content is for subscribers only.
Register
Register
Already a member? Log in here
PaxEx Update: 2 August 2019
A new A321LR enters service for Aer Lingus, faster security screening for United and promises of faster infilght WiFi. Plus Hulu takes flight on Delta and more! Get all the details in this week’s PaxEx Update.
Inmarsat’s maturing IFC market
As inflight connectivity products mature and consumers become familiar with the offerings the expectation from suppliers is that they will pay more for the services more often. Just how long that maturation process takes remains an interesting question, however. The latest report from Inmarsat adds more data to consider on this front, but few solid answers.
This content is for subscribers only.
Register
Register
Already a member? Log in here
Air France adds A220s, retires A380s
Air France will add sixty A220-300 aircraft to its fleet from September 2021. The planes will replace the carrier’s aging A318 and A319 aircraft. The carrier also announced plans to fully retire its fleet of ten A380s by 2022.