From the Control Tower
Connectivity news was big last week with a sizable new deal in the Middle East and some interesting intentions for service in India.
On the aircraft side of the industry the news was less positive, however, with the Mitsubishi SpaceJet facing troubles and the 737 MAX making little public progress towards a return to service. Engine issues expanding to the A330neo and derailing a potential order of the type from Emirates didn't help, either.
A short week coming up with Thanksgiving in the US, but I still expect the PaxEx news to keep rolling in.
Connectivity
AirFi moving forward with Atlantic Airways’ connected deployment
The AirFi LEO product could (finally) be online soon. Work with launch customer Atlantic Airways is back on track after an early setback.
paxex.aero
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.
paxex.aero
Qatar Airways picks Gogo for connectivity upgrade
Chalk up a big win for Gogo as it adds Qatar Airways to its roster of connected airlines.
paxex.aero
Cabin Design
AirAsia takes delivery of its first A321neo
AirAsia's fleet development took a step forward last week as the carrier's first A321neo was delivered from Airbus. The carrier has 353 A321neo aircraft on order, with the new deliveries slated for network expansion and replacement of older A320 family aircraft over time.
paxex.aero
Other Industry News
Emirates expands access to India with SpiceJet codeshare deal
Emirates passengers will gain access to six new Indian destinations via its Dubai hub thanks to a new codeshare agreement with SpiceJet.
paxex.aero
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries rethinking Spacejet delivery schedule: CEO
The SpaceJet is coming from Mitsubishi. Eventually.
But the delivery timeline remains in flux and is likely to slip further as the CEO will no longer hold to a mid-2020 plan for its first frame to fly with launch carrier ANA.
reuters.com
Emirates' Clark says Rolls-Royce needs to sort itself out after engine delays
Coming out of the Dubai Air Show Emirates pulled the A330neo off its possible fleet plan. President Sir Tim Clark was clear on the reasoning, citing engine issues with Rolls-Royce as the primary factor.
reuters.com
Transport Canada safety official urges removal of MCAS from 737 Max - The Air Current
It is just one member of one regulatory agency, but hearing calls for the 737 MAX to have its MCAS software fully removed is not good news for Boeing.
theaircurrent.com