Spirit Airlines is now online in the sky. The first few planes fitted with the company’s in-flight wifi connectivity offering recently entered service for passenger use, though a formal launch is not expected until later this year.
inflight connectivity
Qingdao Airlines reaffirms full-fleet connectivity plan
Qingdao Airlines is ready for a full-fleet deployment of high-speed in-flight internet service. The carrier reaffirmed its commitment to the FTS Xstream™ high-speed satellite inflight system earlier this month, validating the successful implementation of the first aircraft July 2020.
Global Eagle, Telesat push forward with LEO antenna qualification
Global Eagle is moving closer to a Ka-band in-flight connectivity solution. The company recently cleared a critical milestone in the verification phase for the Global Eagle Airconnect Ka IFC terminal to be used with Canadian satellite operator Telesat’s planned Lightspeed low-earth orbit (LEO) network.
OneWeb buys TrustComm, access to the US government market
LEO satellite operator OneWeb announced plans to acquire Texas-based TrustComm Inc., enabling it to offer Low Earth Orbit network and connectivity services to U.S. government clients and TrustComm customers.
Gogo boosts unlimited streaming subscription option
Unlimited monthly data on board is now available on Gogo’s Biz 4G air-to-ground network. The option is one of three new pricing plans added to the company’s portfolio as it continues to see increased demand for higher bandwidth use cases, including streaming video services, from its business jet customers.
Global Eagle secures exclusive access to Eutelsat 139WA
Global Eagle added significantly more Ku-band satellite capacity over North America. The company signed a multi-year deal with Eutelsat for the entire capacity of EUTELSAT 139WA. Previously known as EUTELSAT 7A, the satellite provides extensive additional capacity to augment the company’s connectivity services for mobility customers.
Viasat closes on KA-SAT buy-out
Viasat now owns 100% of the KA-SAT satellite providing service over Europe. The company closed today on its purchase of Euro Broadband Infrastructure Sàrl (“EBI”), the wholesale broadband services business created as part of Viasat’s former partnering arrangement with Eutelsat Communications.
JetBlue’s A220 Fly-Fi: A bit different behind the scenes
Fast, free, FlyFi wifi on board every flight is a key value proposition from JetBlue. The carrier’s new A220 fleet features the same Viasat-powered satellite connectivity as the older aircraft, but how it came to be on the planes is a bit different from prior deliveries.
Eutelsat makes major LEO commitment with OneWeb investment
The OneWeb constellation moved significantly closer to completion this week, with a successful launch and a $550 million investment secured from Eutelsat.
On board the JetBlue A220 inaugural
Since the day it was introduced the A220 (nee CSeries) was described as a game-changer for the industry. JetBlue is about to find out just how well it works. The aircraft entered service on Monday and is a solid offering on which the company is slated to grow in the years ahead.