A shift may, in fact, be underway in the IFC market, but Viasat is still riding high. The company’s latest quarterly earnings note a 13% increase in commercial aviation aircraft in service over the past year, now around 3,950 active.
inflight connectivity
Flexjet to double in size with massive Embraer BizAv order
Flexjet will acquire more than 180 new Embraer business jets, part of a plan to nearly double its fleet size over the next five years.
Starlux shifts from Viasat to Viasat for inflight internet
Starlux will shift its inflight internet offering to Viasat’s Ka-band satellite offering. The companies announced a full fleet program, addressing both new installations and retrofit of existing aircraft.
Starlink snags SAS for fleet-wide connectivity update
SAS is the latest carrier to go all in on Starlink for its inflight connectivity plans, with a rollout aimed to begin later in 2025.
Lufthansa adds free messaging for long-haul flights
Lufthansa will expand its free messaging offering this summer to passengers on long-haul flights.
ATR secures EASA certification for Starlink installation
ATR announced this week it secured certification for the Starlink system on the ATR 72 family, paving the way for airline installations. Air New Zealand will be the launch customer.
Delta confirms multi-link IFC plans with Hughes
Delta Air Lines confirms it is “exploring” the option to enable multi-link network connectivity in a first for the commercial aviation world. Developed in partnership with Hughes Networks, the carrier expects to see the service flying in late 2025.
airBaltic’s first Starlink aircraft makes initial test flight
A 96 minute flight over western Latvia on Tuesday kicked off the flight certification program for the Starlink inflight internet service on the airBaltic A220 fleet.
United updates Starlink deployment details
United Airlines says the rollout of its new Starlink-powered inflight internet service will happen faster than previously planned, with the first commercial flight in February 2025.
Astranis successfully launches microGEO satellites, including two for Anuvu
With the launch of two Astranis satellites Anuvu enters its microGEO era. NuView-A and NuView-B are expected to bring 50 Gbps of new capacity into Anuvu’s network and serve help shape the next generation of its inflight connectivity concepts.