The Business of Passenger Experience
Eutelsat and Inmarsat are both claiming victories this afternoon in France as the Conseil d’Etat, the country's high court, issued a ruling regarding the issuance of licenses for the European Aviation Network (EAN) inflight wifi connectivity solution. It is the latest in the ongoing legal saga over the "complimentary ground component" of the network.
Massively greater bandwidth. Fully dynamic allocation of coverage and capacity. Significantly quicker to manufacture and launch. These are just a few of the characteristics expected from the next generation of satellites joining the Inmarsat GX constellation. The company announced plans today for the first of the new satellites to join the network in orbit from 2023.
Inflight safety services communications have a new data network. Inmarsat announced today that the FAA approved its Swiftbroadband-Safety (SB-S) solution for support of air traffic services, delivering a link between air traffic control (ATC) and pilots via Inmarsat’s global L-band satellite constellation.
Gogo appears to have solved its most significant short-term challenge, with a $900mm debt offering lined up to provide five years of breathing room as the company inches towards a positive free cash flow.
Flights mostly outside Inmarsat’s European Aviation Network (EAN) terrestrial network coverage area present a special challenge of service levels and expectations. Here’s how the company is handling them in at least one scenario.
After more than 71 years there’s a new superlative in flight. Scaled Composites’ Stratolaunch now holds the title of largest (by wingspan) aircraft to fly, displacing the Spruce Goose. Will the future of Stratolaunch differ from its historical connection??
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 […]
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.
Where and when will inflight internet finally take flight in India. A pair of players – Inmarsat and Global Eagle – are leading the charge to deliver connected aircraft in the region. At the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg last week both vendors provided updates on their efforts, with neither appearing likely to fly in 2019.
The wheels of justice may turn slowly, but they press forward as Viasat continues its efforts to see Inmarsat's European Aviation Network (EAN) shuttered. The company won a ruling in Belgium that will see some of the open questions passed to the European Court of Justice (ECJ), reaching the top legal threshold and potentially putting an end to the wrangling. Alas, no one expects the answers to come quickly.
