Hundreds of aircraft rapidly retired from service. Hundreds more shifted into limbo, unclear of when they might fly again. The news no longer surprises, though some of the retirements bring about a sense of loss. For inflight connectivity vendors the impact is more than a sense of loss, however, as it maps to real revenue shortfalls with the aircraft removed from service.
in flight
Connections and Connectivity: The Weekly Wrap
This week we’re talking about a big new partnership connecting passengers JetBlue and American Airlines, as well as how Middle East Airlines will be getting connected with Panasonic Avionics.
Better, cheaper inflight wifi rates launch on Air Europa
Air Europa is leaving megabyte packages behind, switching to full-flight pricing for inflight wifi connectivity as it resumes services this week.
The "new normal" of travel: FlightPlan survey reveals industry expectations
Traveling by air today brings a new set of challenges and concerns for passengers, but the means to address them remain scarce. A survey conducted as part of the Inmarsat/APEX FlightPlan event earlier this year reveals what industry executives believe the future holds. And follow-up conversations with some of those parties reveal how it might even get paid for.
MEA takes first A321neo, brings Panasonic Avionics WiFi on board
With delivery of its first A321neo last week Middle East Airlines (MEA) launches a new generation of inflight services. The carrier’s nine A321neo aircraft include personal seat-back entertainment screens and will be the airline’s first ever to offer inflight wifi connectivity on board. Panasonic Avionics was selected to provide these services.
Accessible Lavs and more wifi flying: The Weekly Wrap–10 July 2020
Improved wifi offerings from multiple vendors leads this edition of the Weekly Wrap, while an option for more accessible lav access is our feature interview. Plus lots more!
Gogo brushes off new ZTE concerns
Gogo faces new challenges to some of its government contracts as the Feds look to push out any companies using technology from a handful of Chinese suppliers.
Ka-band inflight connectivity goes live in China
New product launches are rare and a successful one in China even more so. But Qingdao Airlines now has Ka-band inflight connectivity online, powered by China Satcom, FTS and Gilat.
Skip the speed test: Viasat removes caps for BizAv connectivity
You might think that 16 megabits per second is pretty fast for an inflight wifi connection. But Viasat wants its business aviation connectivity customers to have more than that. The company officially removed speed caps from its Ka-band contracts this week, allowing aircraft owners to access whatever is available in the network, whatever the hardware and the link budget can support.
Global Eagle’s cash crunch
The numbers for Global Eagle’s Q1 are not good. And with a narrow margin of liquidity before it is considered in default on its debt, the timing is tight.