From the Control Tower
Flying cars are just over the horizon, though where they fly may be the bigger surprise. JetBlue continues to cut in the west while Delta continues its strong financial performance. And the inflight connectivity world got a bit of a boost as more GEO satellite capacity is coming online with contracts for aviation in hand.
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Connectivity
Gogo to increase inflight capacity with Hispasat’s Amazonus Nexus satellite
When it comes to delivering inflight connectivity capacity demand in the the Americas and North Atlantic remains massive. Gogo aims to cover that challenge through significant capacity contracts with multiple service providers. The latest deal brings multiple gigahertz of throughput on the Amazonas Nexus satellite slated for launch by Hispasat in the second half of 2022.
paxex.aero
Eutelsat KONNECT successfully launched
More Ka-band capacity should be online soon. Eutelsat's KONNECT satellite successfuly launched last week and is now raising to its geostationary orbit location to serve Europe and North Africa. And that could be good news for Viasat as well.
paxex.aero
Understanding the latest SmartSky delay
Last week's confirmation that SmartSky is delaying activation of its new high speed air-to-ground network to Q2 2020 is somewhat disappointing. But understanding why the schedule slipped should provide better clarity for the company's customers and investors with respect to future expectations of the service. CEO Haynes Griffin provided those details to PaxEx.Aero.
paxex.aero
In-Flight Entertainment
American’s Oasis 2 removes IFE screens
No one really liked the American Airlines "Oasis" retrofit. Fortunately a new version of that interior will be flying soon but it comes with a major change on the IFE front: no more screens on board!
paxex.aero
Other Industry News
Joby Aviation raises $590M for electric air taxi, hurdles remain for widespread adoption
Toyota pumped nearly $400mm into eVTOL startup Joby as part of the latest funding round. It is the latest air electric air taxi company to make big news in the early days of 2020, though progress in deployments is likely to initially occur outside the USA owing to regulatory challenges.
phocuswire.com
Premium products, loyalty continue to drive Delta’s growth
Delta Air Lines closed out 2019 much the way it started the year. Revenue is up and costs are mostly under control. Perhaps most important, however, is that the company is seeing gains in premium revenue and the SkyMiles loyalty program.
paxex.aero
Airbus unit to offer product to help airlines with revenue volatility
Can airlines reasonably hedge against revenue uncertainty? Skytra, a wholly owned subsidiary of Airbus, wants to trade airline revenue futures as financial instruments, allowing carriers to hedge their revenue similar to fuel or currency expenses.
reuters.com
JetBlue confirms network shift to the east, cuts at Long Beach, closing Oakland
JetBlue will cut its Long Beach focus city to just 15 flights a day. The move is the latest in a shift of the airline's resources away from the west coast as it optimizes the route network and pushes for greater profitability.
paxex.aero
Air Canada launches A220 flights
Air Canada inaugurated service on its new A220-300 last week, the latest carrier to bring the type to passengers.
paxex.aero