The Business of Passenger Experience
“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.
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.
SmartSky snagged its first connected charter fleet customer. FlyExclusive will fit its fleet with the SmartSky air-to-ground inflight connectivity service beginning later this Spring.
Spirit Airlines hit another milestone in its in-flight WiFi service rollout earlier this month. And, while it may be a tad premature, it gives the carrier an opportunity to focus more on marketing the on-board internet offering to passengers.
Intelsat’s future in-flight connectivity implementations are slated for an upgrade. The company announced a multi-million dollar deal with Gilat to implement the SkyEdge IV Taurus Modem in its on-board terminals.
Looking for more signs that the industry is moving into recovery mode? For Inflight VR, after many quiet months, a new airline trial of its virtual reality headsets is a great milestone to celebrate
Chalk up another in-flight WiFi win for Viasat. Breeze selected the satellite provider to deliver internet service on its A220 fleet beginning later this year.
In-flight WiFi demand shows no sign of abating. Gogo’s latest statistics show record usage levels on its air-to-ground network, along with a rising number of aircraft installed and hardware shipping to new customers.
The in-flight connectivity industry has something of a history around getting hardware installed at the factory, but not really as a line-fit option. Later this year another aircraft manufacturer will finally transition to a more traditional installation approach, with the blessings of regulators.
JetBlue will bring back liquor and fresh food on board from the middle of March. The carrier will also update its Eat Up Cafe menu as part of the product relaunch.
