The Business of Passenger Experience
Air-to-ground connectivity networks do not work over water. The word ground is right there in the name. Not ocean, not sea. Ground. And yet, Deutsche Telekom has its eyes on changing the rules of ATG networking, bringing the technology to some overwater flights to further support Inmarsat's European Aviation Network (EAN) operations. The idea might not be as crazy as it sounds.
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.
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.
The add-on order for ten more Delta A330-900neo aircraft is not nearly as significant as a couple of the cabin amenity changes it includes.
The first UON-equipped aircraft entered commercial service this week. The Saudia A320 HZ-ASB began passenger service with the new inflight connectivity kit installed on 10 November 2019. The aircraft serves Geneva from Saudia’s hubs in Riyadh and Jeddah.
Honeywell Aerospace is no longer just the manufacturer of the JetWave hardware for Inmarsat’s GX Aviation offering. The company now is a reseller of the service as well. The deal adds another VAR to Inmarsat’s global network and comes on the heels of the deal bringing Panasonic Avionics on board just weeks ago.
A pair of earnings reports last week 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.
Maybe it has never truly been cheap for passengers, but airlines historically took advantage of great deals from suppliers to secure inflight wifi connectivity solutions relatively inexpensively. As those vendors now seek financial stability more than market share a shift is underway. Is the era of cheap wifi over? (And did it ever really exist?!?)
Can Astronics deliver a breakout in its AeroSat division? The company is doubling down on the BizAv segment in hopes of delivering a huge sales win for its antenna systems, thanks to a new partnership and marketing push.
Global Eagle posted strong revenue numbers in Q3, with its content and aviation connectivity segments showing particular strength. The company also announced a couple "take away" deals that see it grabbing business from competitors. Those moves come at a cost, however, especially on the connectivity side. The increased revenue from these deals over the long term is welcome but a short term cash crunch could be bad for business.
