Connectivity
Consortium Pushes ATG Option for In-Flight Connectivity
A year ago, the options for deploying an air-to-ground (ATG) in-flight connectivity (IFC) network were limited to Gogo’s offering in North America and the EAN service from Inmarsat in Europe, which depends heavily on the terrestrial component. Now SkyFive, spun off from Nokia’s core business, is back again, this time with Thales UK, pushing its ATG offerings as it seeks new markets around the globe.
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Inmarsat, GDC, ThinKom update GX antenna, terminal options
Airlines looking at the Inmarsat GX Aviation network have a new option for the antenna and terminal bits, supported by ThinKom and GDC Technics.
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Global Eagle charts a new course out of Chapter 11
As Global Eagle finalizes its financial plans for emergence from Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection there are plenty of questions about what the future of the company will look like. Fortunately the most critical issue is easy to answer: The Albatross test aircraft remains part of the operation. Beyond that, however, the company sees the current industry crisis as an opportunity to reinvent what the inflight connectivity and entertainment business looks like.
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Cabin Design
United launches contactless payments for buy-on-board
Buy-on-board snacks are coming back to United Airlines next month. But the company wants to ease customer concerns over payments, with a new contactless option being added.
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British Airways splits with Marks and Spencer for in-flight dining
Does branding sell more meals on board? Or more seats to passengers? British Airways is breaking with Marks and Spencer after three years of buy-on-board meal partnership.
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Other Industry News
WestJet’s flagship Elevation Lounge set to open in Calgary
After two years of planning and construction WestJet's flagship lounge is set to open at Calgary International Airport. The Elevation Lounge offers a more than 9,300 square feet of space with panoramic views and Canadian-inspired details.
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Willkommen am #BER: Berlin’s Brandenburg Airport finally opens
It is eight years late. It is billions of euros over budget; more than triple the original estimates. It is probably not necessary given the pandemic-induced downturn in the industry. But Berlin's Brandenburg Airport finally opened last Saturday afternoon.
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United launches pre-flight COVID testing to London
United Airlines is adding a new sort of pre-flight check to one of its routes: COVID-19 testing. All passengers (over the age of 2) on one of the company's Newark-London flights will be required to take a test at the airport prior to departure. The test will be free of charge to travelers, with results returned before departure.
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A fleet of salvage-priced planes
Does it matter that airlines are flying planes worth more in the scrap yard than they are to a new owner? Probably not, but United's latest effort to secure a $3bn loan is an interesting insight into the world of aircraft valuation considerations.
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Allegiant ditches advertising, improves conversions
As part of its cost-cutting efforts discount carrier Allegiant slashed its marketing budget in recent months. But conversion rates are up, and the company decided to make some of the cuts permanent as it thinks it found a better way to sell seats.
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ANA plans new long-haul LCC airline
ANA plans a long-haul LCC operation as it overhauls is operational structure in the wake of COVID-19. The company sees an irrecoverable shift in demand profile and is adjusting in kind.
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