Call it one of the fastest inflight wifi deployment project in history. Inmarsat announced today that its GX Aviation product is live for customers on Citilink Indonesia. The project, spearheaded by Indonesian telecoms provider Mahata Aero Teknologi (MAT), took just six months from the signing of a contract to activation on the first aircraft.
in-flight internet
Lounge access, booze and crew bases: Cuts galore at Norwegian
Cost-cutting at Norwegian kicked in to high gear this month. The carrier is trimming expenses in several areas as it seeks to shore up its books. The cuts affect passengers and crew alike, demonstrating just how critical and broad the efforts are. The carrier hopes that the moves will improve profitability and reduce the cost […]
Inmarsat moving EAN to Luxembourg amidst Brexit concerns
A critical component of Inmarsat’s European Aviation Network (EAN) is the grant of S-band spectrum from European regulators. Rather than risking the operation with Brexit the group will rehome the EAN subsidiary to Luxembourg.
PaxEx Premium: Another ThinAir Ka2517 certification in the works
Antenna manufacturer ThinKom confirmed a second STC program currently active for its ThinAir Ka2517 kit. Although the company declined to provide any further details on which inflight connectivity provider or aircraft type is involved, some strong indicators are present, giving PaxEx.Aero confidence in naming a likely first buyer of the product. The A320 STC program...
The fix is in: Deicing problems solved at Gogo
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.
PaxEx Premium: Digging into the Thales lawsuit claims
With billions of dollars in contracts at stake perhaps it makes sense that Thales would seek extra help in securing new deals. That it stands accused of failing to pay its partner for that help is less good. That it now also likely faces scrutiny from US and international regulators related to suspicious payment schemes and efforts to influence leaders of foreign airlines is even worse. Welcome to the fun and exciting world of supplier deals in the Middle East.
Thales faces RICO lawsuit around IFEC deals in the Middle East
Is it possible for inflight entertainment and connectivity vendors to do business in the Middle East without suspicion of bribery and fraud? Just a couple years after securing multiple major contracts Thales stands accused of failing to pay a partner it used to facilitate those deals. More than a billion dollars in damages are on the line in the case.
Citilink’s first GX wifi installation completed
Just over two weeks after the first Citilink A320 entered the shop for wifi installation it is back in service. Aircraft PK-GQR operated a handful of flights on Wednesday with the Inmarsat GX kit installed.
Singapore Airlines launches new A350 regional service with updated IFE/C solutions
Singapore Airlines pressed its latest A350 configuration into service this week. Adelaide is the first destination to see the mid-haul plane and its new Thales AVANT entertainment and Inmarsat GX connectivity systems on board.
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??








