From the Control Tower
What. A. Week.
The annual pilgrimage to Hamburg was, as always, a whirlwind week of innovation and excitement. There was plenty of sexy, splashy excitement on the show floor, but also several more staid announcements. Maybe I'm growing too cynical, but those less exciting bits - which are also more likely to fly soon - definitely drew me in.
There's a ton of news still to be processed; this is just the first of what will be several newsletter installments covering the action. In the meantime, check out the full collection of AIX 2026 stories at PaxEx.Aero for a recap.
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Connectivity
ThinKom’s Nexus Delivers High Performance in a Compact Package
The next big thing from ThinKom is impressively small. The ThinAir Nexus antenna brings ThinKom's proven multi-orbit performance to market in a footprint matching LEO-only ESAs.
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Volotea to Trial Immfly LEO Inflight Internet
Volotea will bring its fleet online in partnership with Immfly, aiming to deliver operational improvements and improved inflight retail offerings.
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Saudia, NSG (Finally) Confirm Inflight Internet Partnership
Saudia officially has a new inflight internet offering, six months after launching its pilot program. The program brings free wi-fi to passengers, powered by Neo Space Group, Saudi Arabia’s leading commercial space services company.
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Amazon Leo Introduces Gigabit Aviation Antenna
Airlines* connecting to Amazon Leo now know what the antenna will look like. The company unveiled details in parallel with the Aircraft Interiors Expo 2026 conference in Hamburg, Germany,
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SES, JAL Team for Expanded Multi-Orbit IFC Deployment
Japan Airlines will deploy the SES multi-orbit inflight internet solution on more than 40 widebody aircraft covering both Airbus and Boeing, line-fit and retrofit.
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Virgin Atlantic Details Starlink Rollout
Virgin Atlantic will launch its Starlink inflight Internet service from next month as the carrier battles with British Airways to deploy the upgraded IFC platform.
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Antenna Cert Action
Several IFC players also announced progress in the certification world:
- Viasat is working with Boeing to gain linefit qualification for its new Aera ESA
- SES can now offer the Gilat Sidewinder terminal on 737 MAX aircraft from the factory, with 787s coming next
- ThinKom's Ka2517 is certified to access the SES Open Orbits constellations on HBCplus installs
In-Flight Entertainment
Thales FlytEDGE Aura Brings Brighter, Lighter Screens On Board
Redesigned for both aesthetics and technical improvements, the new Thales FlytEDGE Aura IFE screens stake a claim as the "lightest, brightest, and most powerful IFE solution" flying.
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Luci Live Brings Contextual Chat to FlightPath3D's Moving Map
Airlines have a new option for entertainment engagement and an ancillary revenue boost, thanks to Luci Live, an AI-backed travel companion integrated with the moving map.
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Cabin Design
Refreshed 787 Takes Flight for Jetstar
A new generation of long-haul flying launches in Australia this week, as Jetstar introduces its first refreshed 787, including all new cabins nose-to-tail, plus installation of inflight internet service on board.
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Expliseat Goes Premium with TiSeat S Launch
Expliseat aims to shake up the regional jet seating market with TiSeat S, a new premium cabin offering bringing weight savings and innovation to the segment.
The company also announced a trio of new customers for its economy class offering, including its first two in the United States.
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