From the Control Tower
What a week!
Hamburg is always a whirlwind, and this year's AIX was no exception. I'm still digging out from my notes on all the great conversations, with a lot to process. Both Airbus and Boeing are doing very interesting things with their connectivity fitting programs, and in rather different ways.
The IFE world is also evolving, with new products and partnerships taking flight.
And cabin design gets a boost in both sustainability and accessibility.
This is just a sliver of what happened at the show (more stories here), and there's still more to come. Stay tuned.
PaxExTRA by PaxEx.Aero
Connectivity
Intelsat Sees Progress with Boeing for Multi-orbit ESA
Intelsat sees significant progress in its Boeing certification programs, with plans to have the multi-orbit ESA flying later this year and line-fit in 2026.
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HBCplus Swaps, Line-fit Plans for Airbus Inflight Connectivity
The Viasat GX Aviation network has been the constellation of choice for more than 100 aircraft in the Airbus HBCplus program, which made the news of it being removed from offerability last week at AIX all the more interesting.
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Riyadh Air Taps Viasat for Fast, Free Inflight Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi will be free when Riyadh Air takes flight, powered by Viasat's global satellite constellation.
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TUI Adds WhatsApp Messaging Service in Inflight Connectivity Push
WhatsApp connectivity takes center stage in the new TUI digital inflight experience, powered by Immfly.
It also marks the third company to bring cabin connectivity to life via the Iridium constellation.
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American Airlines Launches Free Wi-Fi in 2026
Wi-Fi will be free for American Airlines AAdvantage members from 2026, sponsored by AT&T.
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Thorne Stepping Back at Gogo
Executive Chairman Oakleigh Thorne is moving away from day-to-day operations at Gogo.
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In-Flight Entertainment
Panasonic Avionics Launches Converix Inflight Application Hosting Platform
Data is everything and everywhere. For Panasonic Avionics the introduction of Converix, the company's new on-board hosting platform, aims to help capture and manage that data, enabling solutions beyond inflight entertainment.
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TCI Launches “Cornea” Inflight Entertainment Platform
TCI Aircraft Interiors announced its intentions to join the highly competitive inflight entertainment market last week, unveiling Cornea at Aircraft Interiors Expo 2025.
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Astronics Launches SkyShow Moving Map Replacement, Featuring FlightPath3D
Airlines flying with the legacy Rockwell Collins moving map solution need a replacement, as that company exits the market. Enter Astronics, with its SkyShow Server, featuring FlightPath3D content.
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Anuvu Snags Global Apple TV Distribution Deal
Airlines can now offer more Apple TV content than ever on their IFE systems, thanks to a distribution partnership with Anuvu.
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Cabin Design
Fishing for Weight Savings: Recaro Pushes Seating Sustainability
Reducing weight of seats is not the only way to improve sustainability, as Recaro is showing with its updated economy class seating line.
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Collins Launches Seating Refresh Options for Pinnacle
Collins Aerospace sees an opportunity to help airlines upgrade older economy class seats rather than replacing their Pinnacle product on board.
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Collins Evolves "Prime+" Accessibility Seating
With accessibility top of mind for commercial aviation, especially around seating, Collins Aerospace continues to improve on its "Prime" wheelchair seating solution, showing a more refined version at AIX2025 this year in Hamburg.
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Unum, TAAG Team for Dreamliner Upgrade
The Unum One business class seat is set to fly as part of a 787 Dreamliner refresh for TAAG Angola Airlines.
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