United’s newest aircraft type takes flight this week and the CRJ550 interior really is as special as the company has been hyping. Airbus orders and Boeing delays plus some fancy new wifi and upgraded airports on the horizon. Another busy PaxEx week.
ViaSat
Viasat, Gulfstream announce STC for inflight wifi on G280
The super-midsize Gulfstream G280 business jet is now certified to carry Viasat’s inflight Ka-band connectivity solution. The two companies announced the receipt of FAA Supplemental Type Certification (STC) for the installation at the NBAA conference in Las Vegas this week.
Embraer and Flexjet sign for 64 new biz jets
Embraer’s Praetor 500/600 family of jets was quick to move from announcement to certification and now to inclusion in a fractional biz jet fleet. That they are available from the factory fitted with high wpeed inflight wifi from Viasat is an added bonus.
Sunrise Stretch: PaxEx Update 2019-10-18
The beginnings of Project Sunrise and extra leg room for the Kiwis. Plus more wifi (maybe) coming in China and another loyalty top tier moves further away.
Get these stories and more in this week’s PaxEx Update.
Lufthansa Technik dives in to the Chinese inflight connectivity market
Announcements related to inflight connectivity in China are hard to process. Vendors continue to sign agreements and push out releases but forward progress in terms of getting hardware on planes remains stalled. This week Lufthansa Technik (LHT) joined the field with an announcement of an offering for airlines in China. But, like the others, it is unclear what the timeline for implementation will be or where things will go from here.
On board the new JetBlue A321neo
What’s it like to fly on JetBlue’s newest A321neo? Come along on board as I put it through the paces.
PaxEx Update: APEX EXPO
Trade shows usually make for great insight into the future of the industry. This week’s APEX EXPO brought some of that to the surface, with news about seats, entertainment, connectivity and more. Here are some highlights.
JetBlue selects Thales AVANT for A220 IFE
JetBlue’s A220-300 fleet will bring a new passenger experience to the airline. But it will do so with familiar partners. The carrier announced today that the planes will fly with the Thales AVANT inflight entertainment (IFE) solution on board. Delivery for the first of seventy A220s to the carrier is due in 2020.
Viasat extends its SAS reach with long-haul planes
Viasat’s high-speed inflight wifi connectivity will soon fly farther on SAS. The two announced a deal at APEX EXPO this week for two new types to be retrofitted with the Ka-band connectivity solution. Unlike the current short/mid-haul SAS fleet these planes are intended to fly transatlantic routes with the Viasat hardware on board.
Gogo makes a China 2Ku play
Airlines in China find themselves spoiled for choice when it comes to picking an inflight connectivity solutions provider. Gogo (re)joins that party with an announcement this week that it will partner with APT Mobile Satcom Limited (APSATCOM) in selling its 2Ku connectivity solution in the country.