Connectivity
Panasonic Avionics highlights Stellar Blu antenna for OneWeb LEO service
Last week Panasonic Avionics finally confirmed low earth orbit constellations are officially part of its product road map, in partnership with OneWeb. This week at the APEX EXPO conference in Long Beach, California the company is offering up additional details on how the new capacity will fit into its offerings, and how it expects planes will be connected to the new satellites.
Virgin Australia picks 2Ku for Wi-Fi boost
With aims of profitability by mid-2023, Virgin Australia is ready to bring back inflight Wi-Fi for its fleet. The carrier announced plans to (re)activate the Intelsat 2Ku system on board.
Anuvu boosts Ka-band connectivity with dual panel antenna
Inflight internet provider Anuvu wants to boost Ka-band connectivity. The company's Dual-Panel Ka-Band Inflight Connectivity Antenna System (DPSAA) solution launches at APEX EXPO this week, offering increased capacity to the aircraft, especially at higher latitudes, thanks to an extra aperture under the radome.
Cabin Design
A first look at Spirit’s new seats
Looking for a more comfortable seat on your next Spirit Airlines flight? Starting in January passengers on the carrier's newest planes will see new seats throughout the cabin, adding width, padding and even a head rest for travelers. The seats, manufactured by HAECO, also reduce weight on board, helping the company save on fuel and emissions
Dimmable windows coming to the A350 with Starlux
When Starlux takes delivery of its first A350 this weekend it marks several milestones, including the launch of a dimmable window option for the first time with Airbus.
Other Industry News
Air Canada boosts A220 fleet plan
Air Canada will add another 15 A220-300 aircraft to its fleet. The carrier announced it will exercise options expanding its commitment to 60 A220s, with 31 currently in service.
Alaska Airlines MAXes out with updated order book
Alaska Airlines will add 52 more 737 MAX to its fleet over the next five years, the largest single aircraft commitment in its history. The carrier exercised all of the options it held from its landmark December 2020 Boeing order, with deliveries due through 2027.
Lufthansa takes pre-flight safety logs digital with Ditto P2P database
Looking to digitize workflows among multiple cabin crew, but lacking a reliable internet connection? Faced with a similar challenge, Lufthansa turned to Ditto, a peer-to-peer database company, to digitize paper processes via a new Crew App.
CommuteAir plans E175 fleet
CommuteAir is looking to size up its operations. The carrier, currently the exclusive E145 operator for United Airlines' regional services, now wants to add the E175 family to its fleet.
Northern Pacific visits Saipan in search of partners
With its first aircraft fully retrofit and ready to fly, Northern Pacific Airways is on the hunt for a destination market. The company is touring islands in the Pacific, hoping to find the right partners with which the service can take off.