Nearly every conversation about in-flight connectivity at Aircraft Interiors Expo 2022 in Hamburg this week includes mention of the SpaceX Starlink offering. Company executives are wandering the show floor carrying an antenna panel that they hope will soon be certified to fly, while airlines and competitors alike debate the unique path the company has chosen for nearly every facet of the offering.
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Hughes shows off flat panel antenna for OneWeb service
It is not a product, at least not quite yet. But Hughes is showing off a cool new flat-panel antenna* that will soon be used for enterprise connections to the OneWeb low earth orbit satellite constellation.
Dome spotting at the A220 FAL
It is still a few months away, but one of the upcoming A220 deliveries from the Mobile FAL has a special treat on board for its soon-to-be airline owner, as well as for passengers.
El Al removing Viasat WiFi from 737s to avoid possible aircraft damage
El Al, Astronics, and Viasat joined the dubious group of in-flight connectivity installations causing damage to aircraft last week. As a result, hardware must be removed from the planes to avoid catastrophic failure.
Azul CEO talks free WiFi, sees long-term customer value
How can an airline justify a massive, expensive project coming off the absolute worst year the aviation industry ever experienced? For Azul CEO John Rodgerson, the answer was easy. “The way I look at it is when we invite somebody on board the aircraft we want them to feel as if they’re at home.” And today that at-home experience means access to fast, free, internet connectivity.
2Ku antenna challenges hit the A220
Air vortices off the 2Ku antenna system are once again causing troubles. This time it is the Airbus A220 affected, with some 65 fitted aircraft up for additional inspection and hardware replacement as a result.
Keeping it mechanical: QEST announces new Ka-band antenna
QEST expects mechanical antennae to remain key to the in-flight connectivity market for many years to come. The company’s latest offering demonstrates its commitment to that segment, even as it continues to work on ESAs for the longer-term future.
PaxEx Premium: Easing the 2Ku backlog
Seeking ThinAir: The search continues
A couple weeks ago hopes were high for a new antenna system in flight testing. That dream appears to have come back down to earth as Spirit Airlines’ first A321 with the Thales FlytLive kit installed reentered flight services this week.
