2019-12-02

From the Control Tower

All eyes are on Hong Kong this week as its second carrier, Hong Kong Airlines, teeters on the brink of collapse. The airline has until Saturday to raise new cash. Failing that its operating license could be revoked or altered by multiple regulators. And that's after it had to pull back on IFE spending (see below) to cut costs.

Engine issues and connectivity progress are also in the news, generally with a more positive message.

Connectivity

Inmarsat’s GX-5 launches successfully, kicking off the next phase of the GX story

Inmarsat's GX-5 satellite successfully reached orbit on Tuesday, beginning its mission to dramatically increase Ka-band capacity over Europe, the Middle East and Asia. It also represents a key milestone as the GX Aviation prodcut evolves. It is not just about the increased capacity, though that bandwidth makes the future plans easier and less expensive to deliver.

In-Flight Entertainment

Hong Kong Airlines cuts IFE as its finances collapse

Cutting the IFE content might not seem like much, but when budgets are tight anything is possible. Hong Kong Airlines made that move over the weekend, hoping to scrounge up enough cash to stay in business.

Emirates reinvents its inflight retail offering with EmiratesRED

Can an IFE TV shopping channel deliver a boost to inflight sales? Emirates saw a 23% jump in total revenue and a 10% increase per transaction since it revamped the EmiratesRED shopping experience, including adding the TV channel to its ice entertainment system.

Cabin Design

TSI Aviation Seats gains access to Airbus BFE catalog

Airlines purchasing the A350, A330/neo and A320/neo family aircraft now have a new option for a seating supplier. TSI Aviation Seats, a joint operation led by Turkish Technic, is now listed in the BFE catalog opening up new sales channels for the operation.

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. Mirus Hawk seats and in-seat USB power are part of the design that should please passengers.

Other Industry News

The clock is ticking on Hong Kong Airlines’ demise

For Hong Kong Airlines the death watch clock is officially running. The beleaguered company has just five days to raise significant fresh capital. Failure to reach that goal will likely see the airline's operating certificate revoked.

Thales PureFlyt brings an "entirely connected" upgrade to aircraft FMS

Thales is set to deliver an "entirely connected" flight management system (FMS) upgrade in the middle of the next decade. PureFlyt is billed as the FMS of the future designed to incorporate data from multiple sources, internal and external to the aircraft, making aircraft operations more efficient.

But does connecting the FMS to external inputs create undue risk?

IndiGo Stops Pushing Airbus Engines to Limit After Shutdowns

Pushing the engines to a higher thrust during climb was supposed to save fuel. Turns out the benefit for IndiGo was "marginal" and it was beating the hell out of the engines. So now the airline will stop that practice.