Connectivity
Lufthansa Group Shifts 850 Aircraft to Starlink
Lufthansa Group will fit its entire fleet with Starlink's inflight internet service, adding another 850-ish planes to the SpaceX backlog, with the first aircraft expected to be online by the end of the year.
Gogo Completes 5G Testing, Onboards First Customer
Gogo's 5G inflight connectivity network is ready to serve paying customers.
Eutelsat Adds 340 Satellites to OneWeb Refresh Backlog
Eutelsat will replace another 340 of its OneWeb satellites in the years ahead, with a couple shifts from the original constellation build.
Immfly Joins the IFC Fray with LEO Connectivity Offering
Looking for LEO-based inflight internet services? Immfly is the latest to bring a solution online, tapping in to Eutelsat‘s Oneweb constellation for capacity. The move comes just nine months after the company added a narrowband connectivity option to its portfolio via the Iridium network. Narrowbody aircraft remain disconnected, and we’re bringing them into the digital […]
Ryanair Ready for Wi-Fi, Refuses to Pay For It
As Elon Musk and Michael O'Leary trade barbs online over potential inflight internet offerings the Ryanair boss is clear: He wants internet on the planes, so long as he doesn't have to pay for it.
Riyadh Air Taps NSG for A321neo Inflight Internet
Riyadh Air's A321neo fleet will fly with Neo Space Group's inflight internet service when they are delivered later this year.
Considering Connectivity In, Over, Around, and Beyond China
Airbus announced plans to add the Chinese Spacesail (Qianfan) LEO constellation to its HPCplus portfolio, opening the door to conversations about how else it might end up in service for airlines.
KLM Flips Some Wi-Fi to Free
KLM passengers will have free inflight Wi-Fi across a large swath of the carrier's network starting this week.
flyExclusive Set to Bring Starlink IFC to its Fleet - Via Satellite
Private jet operator flyExclusive plans a significant Starlink deployment for its managed fleet of Challenger 350 aircraft.
In-Flight Entertainment
Safran & Skyted sign an exclusive partnership to bring silent, confidential communication into RAVE IFEC solutions
Silent passenger calls in the cabin? Seems far-fetched, but Skyted promises it is possible. And SPI will take a chance on finding out.
It still requires custom hardware, so that's one major challenge.
Cabin Design
Edelweiss Spiffs Up Cabins in A350 Refresh
Swiss leisure carrier Edelweiss will update its A350 interiors, bringing a host of passenger-focused upgrades to the fleet. Among the new-to-Edelweiss options are a premium economy cabin and free inflight wi-fi for all travelers.
WestJet updates cabin reconfiguration strategy to reflect feedback and guest data
WestJet found the pizza so cheap no one would eat it.
That's a quip from former Continental CEO Gordon Bethune, and it did not always hold true during his reign. But WestJet is backing off a cabin densification project after significant customer pushback, mostly on social media.
Loyalty
Completing the JetBlue 25for25 Challenge: Some Numbers and Reflections
Like a couple thousand others I completed the JetBlue 25for25 promotion last year. But was it worth the investment?