Issue 4

From the Control Tower

The APEX EXPO in Los Angeles appeared light on airline attendance which might be bad news for the conference, but it was good news for media as the exhibitors had plenty of time to chat about their products. A few of those stories made their way into this week's newsletter, with many more to follow.

A lot of excitement about new offerings on the horizon. But also, as is typical, very little at the show truly ready to fly today. Oops.

Connectivity

Inflight WiFi for JSX slips to 2020

When JSX (formerly JetSuiteX) CEO Alex Wilcox took the stage at APEX EXPO last week in Los Angeles and proclaimed his optimism about the carrier's upcoming inflight wifi service it was not much of a surprise. That the service will not be live until Q1 2020 was a bit of a surprise, however, as the original announcement expected the offering online before the end of this year.

OneWeb details its aviation plans

With a mission statement of "Internet access everywhere, for everyone" OneWeb has plenty of markets where it can deliver its product to excited customers. Going forward the company wants commercial aviation to be a large part of that conversation. The company is starting to talk in detail about its plans for joining the market, and its targets are significant.

SkyFive targets ATG network expansion on a global scale

Riding high on the launch of the European Aviation Network earlier this year, plans are afoot to expand the air-to-ground (ATG) inflight connectivity coverage footprint. Leading that charge is a company few have heard of, in large part because it did not exist until earlier this year. SkyFive, spun off from Nokia's core business, is now running projects in at least three other markets, with one network online for testing today. CEO Thorsten Robrecht spoke with PaxEx.Aero on the sidelines of the World Aviation Festival in London, keen to celebrate the early accomplishments with EAN, but also to highlight significant future potential for the technology on a global scale.

Viasat extends its SAS reach with long-haul planes

Viasat's high-speed inflight wifi connectivity will soon fly farther on SAS. The two announced a deal at APEX EXPO this week for two new types to be retrofitted with the Ka-band connectivity solution. Unlike the current short/mid-haul SAS fleet these planes are intended to fly transatlantic routes with the Viasat hardware on board.

In-Flight Entertainment

Cabin-wide Bluetooth audio to fly in 2021

It is a product years in the making, with mentions at multiple prior trade shows. This week, for the first time, Safran confirmed that its Bluetooth headphones pairing solution will fly cabin wide on Lufthansa and ANA starting in 2021(ish).

JetBlue selects Thales AVANT for A220 IFE

JetBlue's A220-300 fleet will bring a new passenger experience to the airline. But it will do so with familiar partners. The carrier announced today that the planes will fly with the Thales AVANT inflight entertainment (IFE) solution on board. Delivery for the first of seventy A220s to the carrier is due in 2020.

Loyalty

Virgin set to fly away with Velocity stake in $2b deal

The cash infusion a couple years ago meant giving up control. Now Virgin Australia wants that back and appears willing to pay a decent premium for the honor. The concept of an independent airline loyalty program continues to lose its luster.

An inside look at Air Canada's new Aeroplan program

Aeroplan member rejoice! The award chart is not going to disappear when the loyalty program transitions back into Air Canada's control next year. Except for the couple markets where the charts are gone. This hybrid approach to the redemption options is something that VP Loyalty & E-commerce Mark Nasr hopes will bring transparency to the program structure and keep all parties happy.

Other Industry News

Southwest Aims to Share Max Grounding Reimbursement With Workers

The MAX grounding is eating into airline profits. At least one has a plan to share some of the eventual (expected) compensation from Boeing with the front line, not just investors.

Trying to make sense of the new WOW Air plans

As details on the new WOW Air plans emerge the business model remains an interesting proposition. With a heavy focus on cargo in a softening market and premium passenger experiences with low fares it is unclear how this company will truly deliver for its investors.

Neeleman plans jump on Moxy with outgoing Azul E-Jets

How quickly can David Neeleman get "Moxy" up and running? A lot faster if he's not waiting for new build A220s, it seems. And he's got a source for the E190s lined up.

India Plans Its Own Checks on Boeing 737 Max Jet Planes

Another setback in the process for returning the 737 MAX to service as India indicates it will require more stringent checks and training than what is expected from the FAA. In a rapidly growing aviation market where hundreds of the planes are expected to eventually fly.