Mobile Connectivity

Panasonic Avionics completed a major network upgrade in January that will allow its airline customers to take better advantage of its sprawling High Throughput Satellite (HTS) capacity. The upgrade will increase the data rates available to airplanes by at least 20 times, according to the company’s senior director of global capacity planning Todd Hill. Hill...

Airlines considering purchasing or operating the Boeing 737 MAX have a new option available when considering what type of satellite communications hardware to equip on the aircraft. Miami, Florida-based avionics manufacturer Avionica received a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) for its satLINK MAX Iridium satellite communications system for the aircraft model. Under the new STC, the...

Global Eagle Entertainment is aiming to provide airline passengers’ travelling across North America with a connected in-flight experience far more like the one passengers enjoy on the ground, tripling the amount of High Throughput Satellite (HTS) capacity secured with SES Networks aboard the SES 15 satellite. SES announced that Global Eagle has secured a major...

The aviation world has come a long way from the days when the extent of connectivity in the cabin revolved around self-contained in-flight entertainment and connectivity (IFEC) systems comprising a server, distribution system and seatback displays. Being connected was limited to watching a movie offered by the airline or scanning pre-recorded news broadcasts. Then came...

Aireon announced today that it has signed a data services agreement with the Agency for Aerial Navigation Safety in Africa and Madagascar (ASECNA). Together, the pair will bring real-time air traffic surveillance to high-trafficked, terrestrial African corridors. ASECNA is one of Africa’s largest Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs), covering 16.1 million square kilometers of airspace, through six Flight...

Atlas Space Operations announced that Mark Malosh has joined the company as Chief Operating Officer (COO). Prior to joining Atlas, Malosh was a founding member of the technical team at Gogo. Serving as senior vice president, Malosh was responsible for the delivery of technical product and services for both domestic and international airlines. Mark also managed...

The United Nations specialized agency for information and communication technologies, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), has now adopted the main technical principals of enhanced aircraft Automatic Dependent Surveillance (ABS) via satellite to track in-flight aircraft worldwide. At any given time, there are approximately 59,000 aircraft in flight worldwide. The ability to effectively track, monitor and...

Orbital Micro Systems (OMS) has executed a contract with the Satellite Applications Catapult, to put its miniaturized weather observation technology into space. The mission is part of the In Orbit Demonstration (IOD) Program, funded by Innovate UK and managed by the Catapult. The IOD space mission, scheduled for autumn 2018, will deliver the first OMS...

Gogo announced that Air Canada is now the first North American airline to offer the choice of complimentary Gogo Wi-Fi to their most frequent flyers. Each year, Air Canada recognizes its most frequent flyers with Altitude status and offers them the ability to choose select privileges to personalize their travel experience. Beginning later this year,...

With technology moving fast, Qatar Airways is aggressively investing in its connected strategy. However, the airline believes there is still a lot of confusion in the industry around connectivity.