What topics made the cut for The Weekly Wrap this week? Maryann Simson and I recap the incredible Flight Plan event organized earlier in the week by Inmarsat and APEX, health testing at the airport and more!
inflight connectivity
American picks Viasat for wifi on newest 787s
There was little doubt of the news, but also no formal acknowledgement until now. American Airlines finally confirmed that its newest 787-8 aircraft will fly with the Viasat inflight connectivity solution.
Panasonic Avionics implements furloughs to address slowing business
The aviation industry is in turmoil. As airlines slash spending the supplier network is scrambling to survive. For many of these companies staff furloughs is the name of the game. Panasonic Avionics Corporation (PAC) is the latest in the IFEC sector to implement such moves.
The Weekly Wrap: Cargo conversions and funky seating options
Looking to catch up on passenger experience news in recent days? I’ve got a fun new video series with Maryann Simson from APEX Media and we’re covering all the top headlines.
COVID crushing inflight connectivity: Part 2
Airlines have plenty of reasons to be concerned as the cashflow crunch threatens their survival. So too, however, do the many smaller suppliers that deliver services to those airlines. What was mild trepidation at the beginning of the year, generally tied to the 737 MAX grounding is now, in some cases, a full-on threat to the survival of these businesses. And, unlike the airlines, these suppliers generally do not have the luxury of bailout funding from the federal government.
In part two of this report we explore the impact on Viasat, Thales, Inmarsat and Panasonic Avionics.
Gogo furloughs 60% of workforce, applies for CARES Act support
No revenue coming in for Gogo means little money to pay its employees. The company announced a furlough of 600 people, 60% of its staff, as it adjusts its business in hopes of surviving the COVID-19 downturn.
COVID crushing inflight connectivity: Part 1
This was supposed to be a year of recovery and free cash flow and all sorts of other good news for an industry that spent the better part of the last decade hemmorhaging cash in search of market share. Turns out the global health pandemic cares not for borders nor those plans. Welcome to part one of a deep dive into the inflight connectivity world and the suppliers affected by this recent turn.
Display Interactive, Eclipse Global Connectivity team up to take on China
As the inflight connectivity world continues to mature one market remains ever so slightly out of reach for suppliers: China. Eclipse Global Connectivity and Display Interactive are teaming up to launch a new venture based in Shanghai, with plans to capture that markes as “an integral part of the Chinese IFEC ecosystem.”
SmartSky faces a patent challenge from Gogo
As it developed a new, high-speed, terrestrial inflight communications platform SmartSky also worked diligently to develop a broad intellectual property portfolio. The company hit 150 patents issued in January 2020 and even hosts a separate website dedicated to tracking the portfolio. The patents are intended, among other things, to help the company fend off competition […]
Gogo looks to ride out coronavirus-related dip in demand
The final few months of 2019 delivered strong numbers for inflight connectivity provider Gogo. The company saw revenues improve in the business aviation and global segments while the North American market held up pretty well. Things continued looking good into early 2020. But since the beginning of March, similar to airline demand, Gogo saw a “significant decline” in Asia followed by a “more pronounced decline” in recent days.