Consolidation is coming in the cabin components industry with Astronics set to acquire Telefonix for $104mm in cash. The two companies product lines are largely complementary, covering in-seat power, passenger service units, seat actuators, inflight connectivity components and more.
inflight connectivity
Inmarsat, Deutsche Telekom complete first EAN flight tests
EAN, Europe’s newest inflight connectivity platform, took a major step forward as Inmarsat and Deutsche Telekom announce completion of the first test flight(s) of the system. The countries overflown during the tests are also interesting given some of the regulatory and legal challenges the program faces.
Delivering big PaxEx improvements over a low bandwidth connection
Can a slow inflight internet connection deliver real passenger benefits? In many cases it is better than nothing and Lufthansa Systems is talking about ways to integrate such into a low-cost solution for airlines.
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Air New Zealand gets its GX on
Air New Zealand is finally sporting an inflight connectivity radome on one of its aircraft. Ship ZK-OKS, a 777-300ER, returned to service last week after a month in Singapore where the Inmarsat Global Xpress (“GX”) kit was installed. The carrier announced last December that it will fit its entire fleet with the GX service.
Global Eagle’s Ka connectivity takes flight
Got Ka? That’s the question Global Eagle was asking during the recent APEX EXPO show while demonstrating the latest high-speed inflight connectivity solution it has on offer. Come along for the ride as I put the system through its paces.
Netflix wants your inflight wifi to be free, but…
Netflix wants you to have free wifi on your next flight. That’s the only way it figures you’ll use your Netflix service on board. The catch (of course there is one) is that Netflix doesn’t want to be the one paying for that bandwidth. And it doesn’t really care who is, so long as it gets credit for making your flight better.
Inflight connectivity coming to Interjet
Mexican LCC Interjet is set to add inflight connectivity to its fleet. The carrier will add Panasonic Avionics‘ eXConnect solution to its new A320 & A321 fleet starting later this year. The initial aircraft will be delivered from Airbus in November 2017, and this A321neo aircraft will be the first Panasonic-equipped aircraft to be line […]
AirAsia firms high-speed connectivity plans
Next up on the high-speed inflight connectivity ride is the AirAsia Group, firming a deal announced earlier this year to upgrade its on-board kit to Inmarsat’s Global Xpress solution.
Philippine Airlines goes GX; faster wifi coming soon
Philippine Airlines is getting a solid inflight connectivity upgrade. Inmarsat GX, delivered by SITAONAIR will be installed on a few dozen aircraft, though not across the entire fleet.
Mobile messaging to be free on Delta flights
Delta and Gogo will let passengers stay connected for free on board starting on 1 October. The pair will make the Mobile Messaging service for iMessage, Whatsapp, Facebook Messenger and other services available at no cost to passengers.