Telesat’s Telstar 12 Vantage satellite before shipping to launch. Photo: Airbus Defence and Space.

[Via Satellite 02-16-2016] Panasonic Avionics has booked nearly all the High Throughput Satellite (HTS) Ku-band capacity covering the Mediterranean, Europe and Middle East on Telstar 12 Vantage through a new a multi-year contract with Telesat. The capacity covers major aeronautical routes from Western Europe to the Middle East, enabling the company to provide In-Flight Connectivity (IFC) to carriers across the region. Panasonic will also be using the capacity to expand its maritime services in the Mediterranean and European waterways, as well as to oil and gas operators in the North Sea.

Telstar 12 Vantage entered full operations at 15 degrees west in December 2015 following a launch on Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ H2A rocket. Panasonic Avionics collaborated with Telesat on locating the HTS spot beams to meet Panasonic’s requirements. The company now has Ku-band capacity on four Telesat satellites.