Just a week after announcing the service was certified, Hawaiian Airlines officially launched its inflight internet era on Thursday. But the first plane to serve passengers was not the first install.
LEO
NetJets plans IFC upgrades with Gogo
NetJets will upgrade the inflight internet service on more than 450 aircraft as part of a contract extension with Gogo.
Intelsat celebrates arctic LEO/GEO testing with Utqiagvik visit
A visit to Alaska’s North Slope in mid-December gave Intelsat the opportunity to demonstrate the multi-orbit functionality of its new electronically steered antenna (ESA) terminal and multi-orbit connectivity strategy.
Gogo prevails over SmartSky again in preliminary injunction hearing
Gogo has, once again, avoided a preliminary injunction prohibiting it from selling its next generation inflight connectivity solution.
Starlink certified for Hawaiian’s A321neo fleet
Hawaiian Airlines confirms the Starlink inflight internet hardware is now certified for installation on its A321neo fleet. As expected, the company will offer the service for free to all passengers on board.
Dragging the competition
Bolting a radome atop an aircraft means more weight, more drag, more fuel burn, and higher emissions. Those are all things airlines typically try to minimize. Which makes some recent conversations about drag differences all the more interesting.
Iridium de-risks LEO-based direct-to-device with Project Stardust
Iridium plans to deliver direct-to-handset communications from its global LEO constellation to cell phones around the world by 2026, choosing open standards rather than its prior proprietary approach.
American taps Intelsat for high speed Wi-Fi on regional fleet
American Airlines will upgrade the inflight internet on its regional jet fleet over the next two years. The carrier selected Intelsat to provide high-speed satellite-based service to just under 500 of the smaller jets.
Alaska Airlines welcomes complexity with Hawaiian Airlines acquisition
Alaska Airlines will buy Hawaiian Airlines for $1.9 billion in a cash transaction. Unlike most other mergers, however, the company plans to embrace the complexity of multiple product offerings as it intends to keep both the Hawaiian and Alaska brands in service.
Aerolineas Argentinas taps Intelsat for LEO/GEO inflight internet
ESAs are not just for regional jets. That is one of the key messages coming out of Argentina this week, as Intelsat and Aerolineas Argentinas team up to add inflight connectivity to part of the carrier’s fleet.