The pace of innovation in the inflight connectivity (IFC) market has accelerated over the last decade as technology and business models change. Passengers expect to be connected in the air the same way they are on the ground. At the same time, pilots want access to real-time weather data and information to optimize their flight routes and avoid turbulence.

“Today, having a high-performance connectivity solution is a must-have for an airline,” says Robert Knapel, vice president of Commercial Aviation Products for Intelsat.

Intelsat has long been a leader in providing airlines with IFC and is now rolling out a new multi-orbit service and antenna as part of a fully managed connectivity service for airlines.

A hallmark of Intelsat’s approach is fostering a close relationship with airline customers, Knapel says.

“We listen closely to our customers and tune in to adjust our offering to meet their needs,” Knapel says. “Each one of these airlines are unique in what they are trying to accomplish. At the end of the day, we work closely with each of our partners to enable their specific inflight connectivity vision.”

Intelsat’s new, multi-orbit IFC solution allows airlines to bring customers an at-home experience, backed by stringent service level agreements (SLAs). In addition, the company offers a suite of digital products and services that allow customers to tailor the IFC offering to meet their specific needs and objectives.

The Power of a Muti-orbit Solution

At the center of Intelsat’s strategy is its belief that a multi-orbit solution is stronger than a single orbit. Intelsat is using a combination of Geostationary Orbit (GEO) and Low-Earth Orbit (LEO), thanks to a partnership with Eutelsat OneWeb for capacity on its LEO constellation.

Knapel says this approach is resonating with airlines, and points to contracts with Air Canada, Alaska Airlines, and American. Intelsat has more than 750 aircraft in its pipeline, and a number of unannounced awards across the globe, he reports.

Interestingly, Knapel says almost every RFP right now mentions multi-orbit connectivity as a requirement. Airlines want flexibility regarding their IFC offering, he says — not a one-size-fits-all approach.

“No single orbit is perfect,” Knapel says. “GEO has its limitations when it comes to latency and. LEO networks have their challenges as well. Capacity is evenly spread throughout the globe which is a challenge when you get to hotspots.”

Knapel gives an example in the United States where multi-orbit can make a strong impact and offer something that a standalone LEO service cannot. There is a tremendous amount of aircraft density in the geographic triangle between Chicago, New York, and Washington D.C. LEO networks cannot focus capacity on these areas, but GEO networks can do this. Upcoming software-defined satellites will have even greater capabilities with dynamic beamforming.

“We can put high-density GEO capacity over these areas of high demand to augment the capacity and throughput we are already providing through our LEO partner Eutelsat OneWeb,” he says. “Hotspots are not just a challenge in the U.S., but in busy flight corridors around the globe.”

LEO-based services come with regulatory challenges as well. China, Russia, and other countries have not authorized LEO services, so an aircraft equipped with a LEO-only solution will have blackout regions for service.

“Passengers and airlines are not going to accept an outage while flying over China, like on a route from Europe to Japan,” Knapel says. “GEO is required to provide services there.

And Intelsat’s customers agree. David Scotland, In-Flight Experience and Product Technology Director, for Alaska Airlines spoke with Via Satellite in a recent interview about the importance of a multi-orbit solution for Alaska. 

“LEO is a game-changer. It is incredibly appealing to us and it’s one of the reasons we were the launch order for Intelsat’s hybrid LEO/GEO system for our regional jets,” Scotland said. “Delta clearly disrupted the market with free, but IFC suppliers Intelsat and Anuvu have made huge strides in the past several years to upgrade their service. Intelsat was always good, but their network is even better now.”

Changing Expectations

Airlines want their partners to work with them to evolve the product to meet their needs over time. Airlines’ strategic objectives are changing, and this means they want different business models, Knapel says.

“They want to be able to explore different distribution models and trial new capabilities, he adds.

Service level agreements (SLAs) between airlines and their satcom providers are one of the ways that business models are evolving.

Knapel says that speed was previously a big focus of SLAs, how many Mbps the IFC provider could deliver. But other attributes provide a better measure of the overall customer experience.

“We’re focusing our SLAs on the experience that customers are having rather than just the speed to the aircraft. Speed is an important measure, but it is not the end-all-be-all,” Knapel says. “One of the biggest shifts we are seeing in terms of our multi-orbit solution is the increase in service quality and the resulting SLAs that go along with this.”

Scotland shares the perspective from Alaska Airlines, that SLAs need to evolve to account for new technologies and changing guest expectations. Entities like the Seamless Air Alliance and companies like Neuron and NetForecast are working to provide reliable tracking of the guest experience.

“At Alaska, our North Star is fast Wi-Fi that works on every flight without any interruptions. That’s a tall order, but it’s what our guests expect. We’ve seen some really robust SLAs and some very thin ones,” Scotland says. “We are most interested in robust SLAs that directly tie to the end-user experience. This includes factoring in both the network and equipment drivers.”

Investing in Antenna Technology

Intelsat has done a lot of work around electronically steered array (ESA) antennas. This remains an important focus as airlines look to streamline the equipment on board aircraft for IFC.

Intelsat’s ESA has no moving parts and is significantly smaller and lighter than gimbaled antennas. It is approximately 4 inches tall which makes it more aerodynamic, compared to previous antennas.

Knapel believes one of the important things about Intelsat’s ESA antenna is that it can connect to GEO and LEO satellites, which in turn gives it the flexibility to deliver a service that meets or exceeds customer expectations.

Intelsat’s airline customers are starting to experience the benefits of this new service with the new antenna, and they hope it speaks for itself. “It has been really well received by the market,” Knapel adds.

The antenna has supplemental type certificate (STC) on the Bombardier CRJ 700 and 900 aircraft, and Intelsat is close to finalizing STC on the Embraer E175.

They are looking to the future as well, with its recent investment in French antenna company Greenerwave.

“As we look at antenna technology and the roadmap, we always look for what additional capabilities we can bring to the marketplace,” Knapel says. “We are thrilled with the performance of the ESA we’re bringing to market today and keeping an eye on what will come next.”

From an airline perspective, Scotland says ESAs “are what we have all been wanting from the start.” Intelsat is installing the new ESA for Alaska Airlines’ regional jets. “Their smaller size and lack of moving parts are compelling selling points,” he says. “We’re assessing options for portions of our mainline fleet now – and choosing the right antenna technology is critical in our decision making.”

Looking to the Future

In terms of where its technology roadmap goes next, Knapel says Intelsat stays abreast of new digital developments and keeps in close communication with airlines to understand how they want to evolve their IFC offerings.

“That is really where the focus is over the longer term — what products can we bring to meet airlines’ needs,” Knapel says. “It is more than just providing bandwidth. Recent developments are enabling airlines to offer free service to their high value customers, or different services to different tiers of customers. Continuing to enhance capabilities like that and unlock more value for our partners are key near-term items in our roadmap.”

One example of this tailored approach is Intelsat’s experience bringing in outside partners to deliver unique and engaging portal experiences for airlines, Knapel says. For example, Intelsat has worked with telcos like T-Mobile in the U.S. and TIM in Brazil so that airline passengers can have more seamless login experiences and best-in-class IFC.

“The key is really helping airlines enable their vision. We have engaged in a number of partnerships that can add to the ‘connected’ experience and drive monetization,” Knapel adds.

Air Canada, for example, recently announced it will make onboard Wi-Fi free for its Aeroplan loyalty members, sponsored by Canadian telco Bell. Air Canada’s IFC is powered by Intelsat and the airline is expanding IFC to its smaller regional jets with Intelsat’s multi-orbit ESA solution.

Norman Haughton, Director of In-Flight Entertainment, Connectivity and Analytics at Air Canada, says the complimentary service will be available to Aeroplan members on Wi-Fi equipped flights in North America and Sun markets beginning in May 2025. Air Canada aims to expand the service to long-haul international routes by 2026.

Haughton tells Via Satellite that Air Canada’s Wi-Fi rollout will be the most comprehensive among Canadian airlines to date. The airline sees fast IFC as part of its investment in a simpler and more rewarding loyalty experience for Aeroplan customers.

“We’re continually working to offer our Aeroplan members a simpler and more rewarding loyalty experience,” Haughton says. “Access to fast, free Wi-Fi will add to the many benefits of being a member. More broadly, it’s about adding even more value to the world-class Air Canada experience for all customers.”

He adds that while other Canadian airlines have announced free Wi-Fi services, not all have accelerated installation across their fleets. Air Canada wanted to ensure it had the technology and hardware in place to support the fast, free Wi-Fi across the majority of its fleet on day one.

“Our partnerships ensure we have access to proven, reliable global networks and the best technology — now and into the future,” Houghton said. “Developments in technology have been instrumental in enabling us to offer the level of service that both business and leisure travelers now expect. Improved speeds mean customers will be able to enjoy live TV, streaming video services, gaming and more on their personal devices just like they would at home.”

The IFC market has naturally evolved. Initially, it was about selling connectivity, and then it was about offering other products such as wireless entertainment, and incentivizing individuals to take up the services. It has now reached a stage where it is no longer a “one-size-fits-all” approach.

Over the next 12 months, Intelsat is focused on installations of the new ESA system, executing on its commitments to its partners and bringing online the high quality, multi-orbit service that airlines and their customers expect.

“Success is happy customers, and that goes for both passengers using the service and our airline partners. With more than two years of flight tests, we know that it is an impressive solution, and the demand is high,” Knapel says. “Twelve months from now, we think that momentum is only going to accelerate.”