Connectivity
Lufthansa adds free messaging for long-haul flights
Lufthansa will expand its free messaging offering this summer to passengers on long-haul flights.
paxex.aero
ATR secures EASA certification for Starlink installation
ATR announced this week it secured certification for the Starlink system on the ATR 72 family, paving the way for airline installations. Air New Zealand will be the launch customer.
paxex.aero
Viasat Announces Reorganization of Senior Executive Team
Guru Gowrappan is out as President while Craig Miller will take on a new SVP, Strategic Initiatives role at Viasat.
viasat.com
In-Flight Entertainment
Control Tower to United: Your Moving Map Just Got Better
United Airlines is boosting the inflight map with a Control Tower view, powered by FlightPath3D with FlightAware data, to show an extra level of detail while on the ground.
paxex.aero
Cabin Design
JetBlue confirms EvenMore offering
JetBlue's freshly revamped EvenMore offering will take flight from 28 January 2025, with the benefits largely matching those previously reported by PaxEx.Aero.
paxex.aero
Why airline-restaurant partnerships can be risky
"There’s an argument to be made that first class meals should be more along the lines of fine dining, not fast casual. There’s validity there, but this isn’t the 1960s anymore."
Nice bit on airline/restaurant partnerships.
substack.com
Other Industry News
Beached at Barra: Landing on Sand in the Scottish Isles
Landing in Barra means riding in a 19-seat Twin Otter prop plane aimed into the wind, and lowering the aircraft onto the sandy beach just outside the terminal building.
paxex.aero
JetBlue aims to trim 200 pilots through voluntary separation agreement
JetBlue is aiming to shed 200 of its oldest pilots, balancing the workforce against its revised (and lower) growth plans for the next few years.
paxex.aero
Airbus to close A300-600ST Beluga airline just 14 months after gaining AOC
Airbus has confirmed that it will close its relatively young Airbus Beluga Transport operation. The operation catered to demand for outsize cargo carriage, including moving satellites to launch facilities.
flightglobal.com