Keeping a diverse fleet of business jets connected around the globe is not an easy task. To support its efforts Austrian aircraft management and charter operator Avcon Jet selected Satcom Direct (SD) to fill that role. SD now supplies all connectivity tools for the company, including voice and data services, flight deck communications and cybersecurity solutions.
Satellite
Viasat expands with Aeromexico, sees massive potential in LEO subsidies
Viasat reported its annual results Tuesday afternoon with record revenue. The company also announced a couple surprises, with a new wide-body airline customer for its inflight connectivity solution and a change of plans for its future satellite constellation.
Past the bottom: Gogo sees demand returning and a potential to sell
January and February 2020 showed great promise for Gogo. New aircraft installations continued, particularly of the company’s 2Ku offering for commercial aircraft. And then the bottom fell out.
But the company sees a rebound on the horizon, and also possible a merger.
Vistara confirms Panasonic, Nelco partnership for inflight WiFi service
Vistara confirms it will launch inflight wifi on its 787s, becomming the first Indian carrier to offer inflight connectivity on board.
ThinKom touts low-drag advantages in push for regional jet connectivity
Getting high-speed satellite-based internet service on to regional jets has proven an uphill battle to date. Antenna manufacturer ThinKom hopes its Ka2517 solution can help. The company released details of a study this week confirming its antenna can fly on smaller fuselages without dramatically increasing drag.
Eutelsat KONNECT successfully launched
More Ka-band capacity should be online soon. Eutelsat’s KONNECT satellite successfuly launched last week and is now raising to its geostationary orbit location to serve Europe and North Africa. ANd that could be good news for Viasat as well.
Gogo to increase inflight capacity with Hispasat’s Amazonus Nexus satellite
When it comes to delivering inflight connectivity capacity demand in the the Americas and North Atlantic remains massive. Gogo aims to cover that challenge through significant capacity contracts with multiple service providers. The latest deal brings multiple gigahertz of throughput on the Amazonas Nexus satellite slated for launch by Hispasat in the second half of 2022.
Vistara aims for inflight wifi service with Nelco
Vistara is making a bid to be the first Indian airline with inflight connectivity installed. The carrier is reportedly partnering with Nelco, a local satellite services provider, to bring the service online. Neither party is confirming the deal, though Indian regulators confirmed that applications were processed and permits issued.
Inmarsat’s GX-5 launches successfully, kicking off the next phase of the GX story
Inmarsat’s GX-5 satellite successfully reached orbit on Tuesday, beginning its mission to dramatically increase Ka-band capacity over Europe, the Middle East and Asia. It also represents a key milestone as the GX Aviation prodcut evolves. It is not just about the increased capacity, though that bandwidth makes the future plans easier and less expensive to deliver.
A new player in the race for inflight WiFi over India
The race to bring the first aircraft online in India took an interesting turn in recent weeks. While SpiceJet has talked about its plans to add the GX Aviation system from Inmarsat to its new 737 MAX aircraft other players have been less public about their efforts. But installations are underway to deliver a fleet-wide solution, potentially within a year.







