Shrinking, finishing, selling, (counter)suing

From the Control Tower

A successful rocket launch is always worth celebrating, moreso when it is the first for a company. Congrats to Virgin Orbit for that massive accomplishment. And congrats to JetBlue on the unveiling of its new A220 cabin, to Panasonic Avionics for dumping part of its connectivity portfolio, and to British Airways (and Inmarsat/Telekom/SKyFive) for completing the installation of EAN.

Connectivity

British Airways completes EAN in-flight connectivity rollout for short-haul fleet

Nearly three years after the infrastructure build-out completed and two years after the service launched on aircraft, British Airways completed the installation and activation of the Inmarsat/Telekom EAN in-flight connectivity offering on its short-haul fleet.

Virgin Orbit launches 10 satellites to orbit in landmark test flight

Virgin Orbit successfully launched 10 satellites into space from a modified 747, a huge milestone in the small sat industry.

OneWeb shrinks constellation plans, expands funding

OneWeb scaled back its next generation constellation plans while also announcing hundreds of millions of dollars in additional funding that helps the company move closer to placing the initial 648 satellites into service.

Panasonic Avionics bucks consolidation trend, dumps ITC Global

What's NEXT for Panasonic Avionics? The company sold off its ITC Global maritime connectivity group this week, redoubling its focus on in-flight connectivity. That approach is counter to what many of its competitors are pursuing, however, raising a number of questions.

Counterclaims and Arbitration: WSS and SmartSky continue legal wrangling

The legal battle between SmartSky and supplier WSS continues unabated. And some of the assertions in the counterclaim are spectacularly juicy.

Cabin Design

Inside the new JetBlue A220 cabin

After taking delivery on New Year's Eve, JetBlue is finally opening the door of its brand new A220-300 for travelers to take a peek inside.

Safran certifies Z110i seats on Embraer E-Jets

Safran's newest mid-range economy class seats can now be installed on Embraer E-Jet aircraft, further expanding sales opportunities.

Loyalty

Elite status – including Companion Pass – easier in 2021 for Southwest Rapid Rewards members

Gaining elite status in the Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards program will be a little easier in 2021. The company announced a boost for all members and adjustments to some partner qualifying activities.

Other Industry News

Norwegian abandons long-haul operations, refocuses on 737 routes in Europe

Chalk up another major long-haul LCC failure. Norwegian will abandon its fleet of 37 787 Dreamliners, refocusing on the short-haul European market served with single-aisle aircraft.

DOT announces airline service mandates for extended PPP funding

Expect to see a few new and unexpected routes operating over the next 10 weeks. As with the Summer 2020 version of the Payroll Support Program US airlines face certain service obligations to receive funding under the renewed version this winter. And the US Department of Transportation expects far fewer exceptions this time around.

DOT Allows American and JetBlue to Coordinate Schedules in a Landmark Deal

We now know what the conditions are for the American/JetBlue non-JV at BOS/NYC. And also just how rare the circumstances the DOT approved really are.