Depending on who you ask – and I asked several people at at Aircraft Interiors Expo 2024 last month – ESAs are the best way forward for inflight connectivity, or a compromise that come up short for airlines.
inflight connectivity
Gilat to acquire Stellar Blu
Gilat will acquire ESA-maker Stellar Blu, continuing the consolidation trend in the inflight connectivity world.
Ryanair activates order-to-seat inflight retail
Ryanair’s cabins are adding a digital touch. Passengers on board can now place orders for inflight snacks and duty-free via the carrier’s app.
SAS plans EuroBiz upgrades, Wi-Fi updates
Are the days of EuroBiz seating numbered? Probably not, but as SAS reinvents itself out of bankruptcy, CEO Anko van der Werff is keen to see changes in the product the company offers.
Shifting install sequencing
Will airlines hit their 2025 target to replace the inflight internet services on smaller planes in North America? Probably. But the sequence and timing on those appears to be shifting a bit.
SES Open Orbits brings multi-constellation, multi-orbit Ka-band connectivity together on a global scale
SES will bring together a collective of Ka-band capacity providers under its Open Orbits program, providing a new type of competition in the global inflight connectivity market.
Viasat plans dual-modem modman for (eventual) constellation flexibility
Viasat finally has a formal plan for airlines to integrate access across its two satellite networks: A new dual-modem ModMan is coming as part of the standard install kit.
Panasonic Avionics taps Kognitive for network optimization solution
Panasonic Avionics will integrate network management technology from Kognitive in its IFC solutions, boosting in-flight connectivity performance and operational efficiency, ultimately delivering a better passenger experience.
ThinKom sees trio of innovations driving growth
Not content to rest on recent program wins, ThinKom outlined the future it sees for its antenna solutions.
Starlink sees Qatar Airways, airBaltic both online by end of year, architecture changes beyond
Both Qatar Airways and airBaltic expect to have their first few planes flying with Starlink internet before the end of the year. Expectations beyond that are even more interesting.