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 wifi
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.
Leading with LEO
Add another airline to the collection looking at LEO for an inflight connectivity upgrade.
SmartSky Slaps Gogo with Antitrust Claims
Four months after halting operations SmartSky filed a lawsuit against Gogo claiming “systematic anti-competitive practices destroyed competition for internet connectivity in business aviation” and seeking more than $1 billion in damages.
Qatar Airways Further Accelerates Starlink Deployment
More than a quarter of Qatar Airways’ 777-300ER fleet is now flying with Starlink inflight internet on board, less than eight weeks after the first fitted plane entered service.