The Business of Passenger Experience
Panasonic Avionics Corporation (PAC) and Inmarsat are poised to reshape the inflight connectivity world with a landmark deal. The ten year strategic collaboration project will see PAC sell Inmarsat's Ka-band GX connectivity solution while Inmarsat bundles some of PAC's data analytics and services offerings into its sales efforts. Is this the consolidation the market so desperately craves?
Gogo 2Ku installations continue to spread globally. Cathay Pacific is the latest airline to be spotted with the radome atop its aircraft.
Connectivity installations slow slightly over the summer, allowing an opportunity to take a big picture look at the industry and where the various players sit in terms of connected aircraft and future commitments. Compared to a year ago some players have shifted positions, even as the total committed count increases. The latter is definitely good news for all involved while the former is better for some than others.
Panasonic Avionics has a new marketing boss with a strong background in cloud services and AI systems. It will be interesting to follow the company’s shift in focus as the leadership team continues its rebuild after the bribery scandal, especially as IFE/C or airline-related experience appears an optional qualification.
When senior airline executives are willing to trash their vendors in public that's usually bad news for everyone involved. Welcome to the inflight connectivity world, where airlines are almost as unhappy as the passengers struggling to stay online in the sky. Alas, only part of that frustration is grounded in reality.
Looking for some quality misinformation about the current state of the inflight connectivity market? A recent marketing video from Inmarsat is a great place to start, assuming you don’t mind a whole lot of misleading details and partial truths.
Is the current biometrics push in aviation a gimmick or a real improvement for passengers and airlines alike? Likely a bit of both. Let’s look at two recent demonstrations of the technology to see how the benefits play out.
It has been flying for a while, but the high speed Inmarsat Global Xpress (GX) service is now officially live on Qatar Airways. Some 130 777 and A350 aircraft will eventually carry the kit. And all passengers still get a free hour of connectivity on board.
A decade of bribery and illicit payments came to an abrupt end a couple years ago. Now Panasonic Avionics is looking to move on. The company settled its case with the US Department of Justice and SEC, paying massive fines but avoiding further issues.
Panasonic Avionics is moving its innovation closer to its airline customers. The company is setting up centers around the globe to help develop new ideas and services that sit atop the IFE/C hardware flying on thousands of customer aircraft today.
