From the Control Tower
While Farnborough dominated the news last week, there were a bunch of other important stories to share. So this week sees a rare double email newsletter.
Don't worry; I won't make a habit of it.
PaxExTRA by PaxEx.Aero
Shakeup in ancillaries, AI on tap for flyadeal
Flyadeal CEO Steven Greenway sees plenty of opportunities for his LCC to innovate, even with a very basic service offering. Removing all the ancillary sales options is part of that plan.
paxex.aero
Connectivity
WestJet taps Starlink for fast, free inflight internet
WestJet will make inflight internet free to all passengers, thanks to a new partnership with TELUS and Starlink.
paxex.aero
Viasat confirms connectivity plans for LOT Polish Dreamliners
Viasat will provide inflight Wi-Fi service to LOT Polish Airlines' fleet of Dreamliners from 2026 as part of a planned retrofit for the 787s.
paxex.aero
Viasat rejigs financial reporting
Viasat's new reporting structure breaks out revenue by segment much more clearly than before, exposing a couple interesting trends.
paxex.aero
Stellar Blu, Fargo Jet Center team for special missions connectivity
Stellar Blu is expanding into special missions, thanks to a strategic partnership with Fargo Jet Center (FJC) to develop and certify solutions targeting the Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) market.
paxex.aero
China Drops Sanctions on US Communications Firm in Rare Reversal
A nice win for Viasat, as China dropped its sanctions on the company. Those sanctions were initially imposed earlier this year following an arms deal between the US and Taiwan.
bloomberg.com
In-Flight Entertainment
AERO VISION promises ad-supported IFE/C for airlines
Can advertising cover the cost of a streaming inflight entertainment and internet deployment? GDC Media is the latest to pitch an IFE/C platform supported by ad revenue rather than passengers paying.
paxex.aero
Cabin Design
Southwest to assign seats, add extra legroom
After more than 50 years Southwest Airlines is adding assigned seating to its cabins. The carrier will also differentiate seating, with an extra legroom option on board.
paxex.aero
Alaska Airlines boosts premium cabins
Alaska Airlines wants to tap in to the demand for premium passengers. The carrier will increase the number of first class and extra legroom seats on board over the next couple years.
paxex.aero
Other Industry News
American introduces dedicated bag tags for mobility devices
More than one percent of mobility devices are mishandled in the United States. American Airlines hopes to improve its record with the introduction of a digital tagging process, now live for wheelchairs and mobility scooters.
paxex.aero
Archer, Southwest tie up for (maybe eventual) eVTOL connections
A potential partnership with Southwest Airlines is the latest in a series of major moves for Archer Aviation's plans towards operating in California.
paxex.aero