This content was available to PaxEx Premium subscribers first. Sign up now to get early access to the IFEC news that matters most. What happens when gigabits of capacity goes offline? Passengers and inflight connectivity providers alike are about to find out. Intelsat 29e, the first of the Epic Ku-band High Throughput Satellites, suffered a […]
Panasonic Avionics Corporation
Epic Troubles: Satellite failure slashes inflight wifi capacity
What happens when gigabits of capacity goes offline? Passengers and inflight connectivity providers alike are about to find out. Intelsat 29e, the first of the Epic Ku-band High Throughput Satellites, suffered a fuel leak on 7 April 2019, followed by a second issue on 9 April. The satellite is in "safe mode" meaning all customer-facing services are disabled as the operator seeks to address the problems. This represents a significant hit to Ku-band capacity over the Americas and the North Atlantic Ocean.
RAVE reviews for Inflight Bluetooth pairing from Safran
Ready to pair your wireless headphones in flight? This week at the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg one vendor showed off its working prototype, expected to fly cabin-wide with airlines in Q3 2020.
Panasonic updates Wellness offering, announces Etihad as first customer
Panasonic Avionics spent the last year boosting its on-board wellness portfolio, expanding efforts to improve the inflight experience beyond its core entertainment and connectivity work. This week the company announced that Etihad will be the first airline to implement part of that program, adding the Jet Lag Adviser functionality to the airline’s app. Timing for the implementation remains […]
PaxEx Premium: Gogo Vision Touch–over before it begins
It launched as Gogo Vision Touch. Delta Air Lines would be the initial customer but plans were in place to expand the offering to other airlines. Those plans still exist in a roundabout way, but it no longer appears that Gogo is involved in the product as Delta carries this wireless IFE solution forward.
Singapore Airlines launches new A350 regional service with updated IFE/C solutions
Singapore Airlines pressed its latest A350 configuration into service this week. Adelaide is the first destination to see the mid-haul plane and its new Thales AVANT entertainment and Inmarsat GX connectivity systems on board.
PaxEx Premium: Delta dives in to the inflight entertainment OEM market
Can a massive airline deliver disruption in the inflight entertainment world? Delta Air Lines hopes the answer is yes as its Delta Flight Products (DFP) group formally launches its wireless IFE solution. Can a massive airline deliver disruption in the inflight entertainment world? Delta Air Lines hopes the answer is yes as its Delta Flight Products (DFP) group formally launches its wireless IFE solution. That's bad news for pretty much every other vendor in the inflight entertainment market today.
Fiji Airways selects Panasonic for entertainment, connectivity on new 737 MAX fleet
The official unveiling is set for Monday in Nadi but Fiji Airways cannot wait to tease some details around its new 737 MAX aircraft. Among them, confirmation that the inflight entertainment and connectivity will be provided by Panasonic Avionics. The partnership was reported to PaxEx Premium subscribers last month.
PaxEx Premium: Challenged to the core
It was supposed to be a massive shift of market share in the inflight connectivity world. Former Panasonic Avionics executive David Bruner claimed significant numbers of Southwest Airlines aircraft would see the Global Eagle kit uninstalled, replaced with PAC's solution, along with the ongoing line-fit deliveries. Instead Global Eagle is replacing PAC on the small number of 737s that were installed. And that might not even be the largest challenge Panasonic faces today.
In the couple months since PAC's partnership announcement with Inmarsat the company has pushed a two pronged approach to its future business. One one side sits the core competencies of its inflight entertainment business. On the other, driven by many of the new faces in the company's leadership, comes a shift towards a services operation. Both sides face challenges.
Delta adds A330s, shakes up cabin amenities
The add-on order for ten more Delta A330-900neo aircraft is not nearly as significant as a couple of the cabin amenity changes it includes.









