Qatar Airways is the latest airline to bring gate-to-gate connectivity online. Regulatory changes are now approved allowing the service to operate. The next couple years of growing passenger demand with minimal spare capacity should be interesting to watch play out.
Satellite
Connectivity Revenue: Where does American’s shift leave Gogo?
How much revenue does the American Airlines fleet contribute to Gogo? What will things look like in 2018 as 400ish planes leave? Here's a look at what I think might happen.
Iridium-4 to launch on an old friend
Choosing to launch on a flight-proven SpaceX rocket earns Iridium a (mostly useless) mark on history. The company will be the first to launch multiple times on the same rocket.
Power Up! Astronics to acquire Telefonix
Consolidation is coming in the cabin components industry with Astronics set to acquire Telefonix for $104mm in cash. The two companies product lines are largely complementary, covering in-seat power, passenger service units, seat actuators, inflight connectivity components and more.
Inmarsat, Deutsche Telekom complete first EAN flight tests
EAN, Europe’s newest inflight connectivity platform, took a major step forward as Inmarsat and Deutsche Telekom announce completion of the first test flight(s) of the system. The countries overflown during the tests are also interesting given some of the regulatory and legal challenges the program faces.
XTS is dead. Long live XTS. Panasonic sees "radical change" coming
Has the LEO/MEO revolution spooked Panasonic Avionics? "Radical change" is coming according to VP Global Sales David Bruner, putting the company's 6-payload XTS Ku-band network on a new track.
Global Eagle’s Ka connectivity takes flight
Got Ka? That’s the question Global Eagle was asking during the recent APEX EXPO show while demonstrating the latest high-speed inflight connectivity solution it has on offer. Come along for the ride as I put the system through its paces.
Growth, diversification key for Global Eagle’s next steps
Southwest Airlines is set to get a boost in its inflight connectivity performance as provider Global Eagle dedicates a(nother) satellite to its network. GEE is also diversifying its offerings, adding new
Alaska Airlines goes Gogo 2Ku for inflight wifi upgrade
We’ve known an upgrade to the Alaska Airlines inflight internet service was coming. Now we know who will provide that service. Gogo’s 2Ku kit will be installed starting in early 2018.
Big bucks, big bills for Gogo in Q2 ’17
More passengers are using Gogo's service but that doesn't translate into greater profits. Costs are also up and consumers may find themselves soon paying more as well.