TSS Solutions gets top contract

TSS Solutions, an Acorn Growth Company, announces contract award to fully upgrade an AN/TPS-43 Radar System for the Ecuadorian Air Force (Fuerza Aérea Ecuatoriana, FAE).

TSS Solutions, a defence electronics engineering and manufacturing company focused on the repair, upgrade, operations, maintenance, and leasing of radar systems, announced the award of a contract through the Defense Logistics Agency with U.S. Navy’s Program Executive Office Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence (C4I) Program Management Warfare Office (PMW 740). This contract will deliver a completely modernized radar system for the FAE. The face value of the contract is $11.7 million dollars with a period of performance ending in September 2025.

MOST selected for inflight retail revamp at Southwest Airlines

Southwest Airlines has selected MOST, a leading provider of intuitive and customized retail and payment solutions, to power its inflight retail experience, launching a new era of flexibility for onboard sales. 

Fleet-wide deployment of hardware and software solutions delivers improved passenger experience and data analytics for on-board sales.

The solution brings together onboard product management, bespoke payment hardware, and efficient payment processing, all customized for the airline, to improve the passenger experience.

MOST’s modular application architecture allows partners to develop a new retail experience with minimal effort. Integration of a digital shopping cart, payment processing, and onboard product management is easily managed through the MOST ecosystem.

Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards

“Deploying a solution at the scale of Southwest Airlines and at a rapid pace was a huge accomplishment for our team,” said MOST CEO Jan Blanchard. “Adopting the MOST solution makes for smoother exchanges between the airline's Flight Attendants and Customers.”

“As we reimagine our inflight retail process, we needed a solution that eased workloads and improved our data collection, while reducing the time to handle each passenger transaction,” said Ron Freer, Senior Manager of Inflight Mobility at Southwest Airlines. “MOST’s agile development process and rapid iterations allowed us to continuously revise the application, ensuring a successful deployment on a very aggressive timeline.”

On the hardware front, the most.Onthego solution combines an iPad Mini 6 with a dedicated payment device in an ergonomic package with a single point of charge. Credit or debit card payments can be processed via NFC/Contactless tap (including Apple and Google Pay), Smart Chip, or swipe. The most.Pay payment gateway handles the transactions during flight and enables an innovative and frequent transmission of offline payments for processing. Data analytics, including product management, can also be relayed in near real-time to back-office systems, thanks to the most.Retail connected management architecture.

Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards

Aeroporti di Roma gets more travellers to their destinations on time with Dynatrace

Dynatrace has announced that Aeroporti di Roma (ADR), the largest airport operator in Italy – serving nearly 50 million people annually via more than 100 airlines and the Fiumicino Leonardo da Vinci and Ciampino airports – is using the Dynatrace® platform to keep travellers flowing through its airports quickly and efficiently. Digital systems are at the heart of ADR’s efficiency, underpinning all critical airport processes, including security checks, border control, baggage handling, airside operations, and traveller information systems such as those used for check-in and travel updates.

Previously, the ADR team had limited in-house visibility into its applications or the underlying on-premises and cloud infrastructure. They relied on multiple third-party systems integrators to share information on the performance of their software and its impact on travellers’ experiences and satisfaction. This reliance on multiple systems and manual triaging with no single source of truth complicated ADR’s efforts to resolve issues quickly and optimize digital experiences. Dynatrace has enabled ADR to overcome these challenges by unifying observability and security data from its hybrid-cloud environment.

Expert calls for adoption of decentralised digital identity security systems

Expert calls for adoption of decentralised digital identity security systems

The latest research by digital identity security specialists, ID Crypt Global, reveals that more than 80% of the British public have taken active steps to deny tech companies permission to access and use their personal data, but it’s not enough to abate wide-spread concern about digital identity security. 

When we sign-up to and use online technology services, we invariably have to grant them access to a lot of our personal digital identity. The companies then use this data for various, often highly profitable, purposes including commoditising to to sell to third parties, predicting future behaviour, and improving the accuracy of targeted advertising. 

Who are the worst data-hoarding offenders?

It seems that social media platforms are the worst data-hoarding culprits. The likes of Tik Tok, Facebook, and Instagram (itself owned by Facebook’s parent company, Meta) are known to gather information such as face recognition, environment recognition, personal contacts, voice data and recognition, as well as photos and videos. 

Even the tech-based services we use track a good amount of personal data. Uber, for example, grabs face recognition data, while also accessing contacts and images. 

Advanced £870 million radar contract could sustain 600 UK jobs...

An £870 million five-year contract has been awarded to upgrade radar capabilities on the RAF Typhoon, fitting one of the world’s most advanced radars.

The UK government has confirmed that an £870 million five-year contract has been awarded to BAE Systems and Leonardo UK to upgrade radar capabilities on the RAF Typhoon, fitting the fighter jets with one of the world’s most advanced radars – the European Common Radar System (ECRS) Mk2.

Following last year’s announcement at the 2022 Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT), in which Defence committed to a £2.35 billion investment to several upgrades for Typhoon, this is the first contract allocated from that major and complex investment and will see the completion of the development and integration of the ECRS Mk2.

The state-of-the-art radar will transform the Typhoon’s control of the air, bringing a world-leading electronic warfare capability which will allow the aircraft to simultaneously detect, identify, and track multiple targets in the air and on the ground. ECRS Mk2 will be integrated onto RAF Typhoon Tranche 3 aircraft and offered to other nations that operate the aircraft, boosting UK defence exports.

New technology hub to accelerate next-generation Airbus wings

New technology hub to accelerate next-generation Airbus wings

Airbus is investing further in its UK innovation capabilities, with the opening of a new Wing Technology Development Centre (WTDC) at its Filton site. The facility, which will be used to build and test demonstrators for a range of programmes and research projects, was opened by Nusrat Ghani, UK Minister of State at the Department for Business and Trade. 

The new facility will help Airbus accelerate the design, build and testing of wings for next generation aircraft, by using the latest technology and world-leading demonstrators to further improve the performance of its wings. 

Alongside engine optimisation, making wings longer, leaner and lighter is one of the biggest opportunities to improve fuel efficiency, reduce CO2 and ultimately work towards the aviation industry’s ambition to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Airbus Head of Filton site and Wing of Tomorrow Programme Sue Partridge explains,

“The new Wing Technology Development Centre will help us to ground our research in practicality. A key element of how we deliver technology for next generation aircraft wings is through Wing of Tomorrow (WoT), our largest research and technology programme led by the team in the UK. 

MSC Air Cargo partners with IBS Software to power its global air cargo business

MSC Air Cargo partners with IBS Software to power its global air cargo business

Through the multi-year cargo management agreement, IBS will deploy its iCargo solution to completely digitalise MSC’s air cargo operations

IBS Software, a global leader of SaaS solutions to the travel and cargo industry, has been selected by the air cargo unit of MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company, as a strategic partner in a bid to digitally transform its air cargo operations.

iCargo, the Software as a Service solution for air cargo management from IBS Software, will install a true digital platform that covers cargo sales, operations, cargo accounting and portal for MSC. The standard product implementation will help MSC to go-live faster and start business operations at the earliest opportunity. Once fully implemented, iCargo will enable MSC to have full visibility of its air cargo value chain, covering sales, operations and accounting, while also gaining insights for continuous business improvement. 

The partnership enables IBS Software to deploy iCargo for a company that is already the world’s largest container carrier and which is now growing its MSC Air Cargo unit, as a complementary business to its core ocean shipping solution. iCargo adheres to best practices in the air cargo industry and is fully compliant with global industry standards and initiatives – such as Cargo iQ, C-XML, OneRecord, e-AWB and e-Freight – making this latest development a remarkable moment across the logistics industry. It is an important step toward achieving seamless operations across multi-modal logistics models, increased efficiency and the productivity to power rapid global trade and growth IBS Software has long advocated for. 

Air mobility startup Lygg raises €3.6 Million to reduce time and costs associated with business travel

Superhero Capital joins private and public investors to scale Lygg’s direct-route platform available to corporations and individuals.

Lygg optimizes underutilized private aircraft assets for cost-effective and time-efficient flights.

Startup’s premium travel experience reduces carbon emissions by up to 75 percent compared to existing commercial routes.

New routes in the Netherlands and Scotland are set to join existing services in Finland, Sweden, and Estonia.

As the model for regional air travel continues to collapse post-pandemic in both Europe and the United States, door-to-door air mobility startup Lygg announced it raised €3.6 million (over USD 3.9 million) to support the expansion of its contracted private aircraft routes to more locations in Europe and beyond. The company’s mission to reduce the cost, time, stress, and carbon emissions associated with business travel simultaneously resonates with corporate customers anchoring new Lygg routes from underserved locations to larger economic centres. 

The funding round, led by Superhero Capital, was joined by private investors, with also the Finnish government providing funding. The company plans to utilize the funds to expand its routes to locations such as Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Stockholm, Sweden; Aberdeen, Scotland; and Frankfurt, Germany, as well as expand its reservation portal that integrates with booking tools used by major travel management companies (TMCs).

“Think of Lygg as the ‘Uber of aviation.’ They are democratizing private air travel by leveraging dormant assets and matching routes with demand for a seamless door-to-door experience for busy travelers,” said Juha Ruohonen, General Partner of Superhero Capital. “As we watch more and more cities lose their regional air travel services, Lygg is filling the gap with transforming regional air travel that passengers actually look forward to, in a reliable, profitable and scalable model.”

Sabre takes hotel guest services to a new level by integrating WhatsApp with Nuvola

Sabre Corporation, a leading software and technology provider to the global travel industry, announced the integration between Nuvola, its task management and guest engagement software, and the renowned messaging platform WhatsApp. Hotels using Nuvola’s Guest Chat module now have the option to choose between SMS messaging or WhatsApp to power their real-time communications with guests. With over two billion users across 180 countries, the integration with WhatsApp provides hoteliers with a powerful tool to offer a differentiated and seamless guest experience.

Additionally, Nuvola recently launched a two-way integration with Sabre’s property management system, SynXis Property Hub. This new integration allows hotel staff to have a more holistic view of the traveler and run operations on-property smoothly.  

“Properties using Nuvola’s Housekeeping module and Property Hub can send real-time updates to ensure the front desk has accurate room status information, such as if the room is cleaned, and can seamlessly check in guests upon their arrival,” said Juan Abello, Vice President of Product Management at Sabre Hospitality and founder of Nuvola. “Furthermore, if the hotel incorporates Nuvola Guest Chat or the Angel guest app, the information exchanged between the property management system (PMS) and Nuvola has the potential to improve the guest experience and increase the hotel’s guest satisfaction score.” Abello added.

ITEC and Aerialis joint together to bring F124 engine to new Aeralis fleet

Honeywell, through The International Turbine Engine Company (ITEC), has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) at Paris Air Show 2023 with aircraft designer and manufacturer AERALIS to integrate the Honeywell/ITEC F124 Engine into AERALIS' new modular aircraft.

AERALIS' fleet of aircraft comprise a common core fuselage that will be fully adaptable, using different wings and engines depending on the mission. This modular design means it can be reconfigured to take on a variety of roles, including training pilots with little or no flight experience, operational training, display, surveillance and light combat. It is expected that the acquisition and maintenance of the jets as a collective system will cost 60% less than a conventional light jet system thanks to the modular design, affording an 85% commonality in aircraft parts.

"The fifth and sixth generation of fighter jets requires a new approach to training and operational support roles that AERALIS is looking to deliver through its innovative approach to aircraft system design," said John Guasto, vice president of Defense and Space International at Honeywell Aerospace. "Honeywell/ITEC is pleased to be able to offer the F124 engine solution as part of AERALIS' system approach, delivering the reliability, thrust and affordability that other competitive offerings simply cannot match."

Airbus and STMicroelectronics collaborate on power electronics for aircraft electrification

R&D collaboration on advanced power semiconductors, which are a key enabler of the aerospace industry’s transition to hybrid and full-electric systems.

These semiconductors will play a significant role in powering future hybrid helicopters, aircraft, the ZEROe roadmap, as well as the City Airbus NextGen.

Airbus, a global pioneer in the aerospace industry, and  STMicroelectronics, a global semiconductor leader serving customers across the spectrum of electronics applications, have signed an agreement to cooperate on power electronics Research & Development to support more efficient and lighter power electronics,  essential for future hybrid-powered aircraft and full-electric urban air vehicles. 

The collaboration builds on evaluations already conducted by both companies to explore the benefits of wide bandgap semiconductor materials for aircraft electrification. Wide bandgap semiconductors like Silicon Carbide (SiC) and Gallium Nitride (GaN) have superior electrical properties compared with traditional semiconductors like silicon. They enable the development of smaller, lighter and more efficient high-performance electronic devices and systems,  particularly in applications requiring high power, high frequency, or high-temperature operations. 

The cooperation will focus on developing SiC and GaN devices, packages, and modules adapted for Airbus’ aerospace applications. The companies will assess these components by conducting advanced research and tests on demonstrators, such as e-motor control units,  high and low voltage power converters, and wireless power transfer systems. 

Aerolease order up to 50 Eviation Alice all-electric commuter aircraft

Eviation Aircraft, a manufacturer of all-electric aircraft confirmed that Aerolease, a leasing company based in Miami, U.S., has signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) for up to 50 commuter Alice aircraft. 

Aerolease is focused on sustainable aviation and will provide financing and leasing solutions for the Alice to a global customer base of operators. 

Leading The Aviation of Tomorrow

The Eviation Alice is a nine-passenger electric aircraft – the only flight-proven all-electric commuter aircraft of its size. Built from a clean-sheet design around magniX's industry-leading electric propulsion system, Alice produces zero carbon emissions and features lower operating costs per flight hour compared to light jets or high-end turboprops – thereby providing the opportunity to activate more routes, improving the convenience of air travel.

"As we gather for the Paris Air Show, the aerospace industry is facing increasing pressure to turn sustainable solutions into reality," said Eddie Jaisaree, Vice President, Commercial Sales at Eviation. "The Alice aircraft meets the demand for zero-carbon technology that we are seeing from governments, regulators, and the public, while offering a more enjoyable flight experience and lower operating costs. Aerolease further demonstrates the commitment of leasing companies to revolutionize air travel and we are very pleased to receive this order."

Smooth operation at Budapest airport...........

In the words of Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”, and in the modern age of international travel, this first step is often an airport. 

With 16 million passengers passing through it in 2019, Budapest Airport is the biggest international airport in Hungary and a central hub for Southeastern Europe. However, the airport’s control and SCADA systems for operating critical infrastructure were ageing and not standardized. Here’s how COPA-DATA helped.

Airports have sophisticated systems in place to handle air traffic and passenger operations. Planes are guided step by step to their gates and starting positions by air-ground light systems (AGLS). Checked baggage and cargo is dealt with by separate automated baggage handling systems (BHS) to ensure that all baggage is registered, inspected, and transported to the correct place.

Budapest Liszt Ferenc Airport (BUD) is the international airport of Hungary’s capital, located just ten miles from central Budapest. In 2019 it was used by over 16 million passengers, but it is also an international freight airport and serves military purposes, meaning that it must be fully operational all year round.

System heterogeneity

Since its opening in 1950, BUD has undergone frequent extensions, modernisation and redesigns. These changes have been carried out at varying time points and by different contractors, meaning that while some existing systems and installations have remained unchanged, its overall system landscape is very heterogeneous. Because of this, the airport relies on several control systems for its AGLS and BHS.

“For operation and monitoring, we had a total of six Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems,” says Géza Kulcsár, control systems group leader at Budapest Liszt Ferenc International Airport. “No less than four were in use for the BHS alone.”

As these systems had all been implemented by different systems integrators for specific installations, they all only had interfaces and visualisations for each of their individual purposes. This not only led to inconsistency between the look and feel of the human-machine interfaces (HMIs) making the operation less user-friendly but also increased the risk of misinterpretation.

The variability between these applications also meant that maintenance staff needed to be trained on each system, but also had to rely on several different integrators for support and modifications, some of which were no longer in existence or unable to assist with airport installations. “Comparably simple tasks such as operating system updates frequently turned out to be formidable challenges,” Géza Kulcsár recalls. “Breakdowns of partial systems occurred regularly.”

Achieving standardisation

RTX advances hybrid-electric propulsion demonstrator with 1MW motor rated power milestone test

RTX has achieved a critical milestone in its hybrid-electric flight demonstrator programme, successfully completing a rated power test of the demonstrator's 1 megawatt (MW) electric motor, developed by Collins Aerospace (Collins). 

The 1MW motor will be combined with a highly efficient thermal engine, developed by Pratt & Whitney, as part of a hybrid-electric propulsion system that aims to demonstrate a 30 percent improvement in fuel efficiency and CO2 emissions compared to today's most advanced regional turboprops. Collins and Pratt & Whitney are both business units of RTX.

"With its industry-leading power density and efficiency, our 1MW motor will help to significantly reduce aircraft carbon emissions by supporting hybrid-electric propulsion architectures on the next generation of commercial platforms," said Henry Brooks, president, Power & Controls for Collins Aerospace. "As the motor's development continues apace, each milestone brings us one step closer to hybrid-electric flight and our industry's shared commitment to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050."

Compared to Collins' most advanced electric motor generators flying today, the 1MW motor will deliver four times the power and twice the voltage, with half the heat loss and half the weight. The company is developing the motor at Collins' facility in Solihull, United Kingdom, and testing it at the University of Nottingham's Institute for Aerospace Technology.

ADAC Luftrettung to collaborate with Volocopter on next-gen eVTOL for emergency medical services

Today, ADAC Luftrettung and Volocopter entered a collaboration partnership to customize next-generation electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (eVTOLs) for rescue services. Two milestone agreements were signed at the Paris Air Show: one to purchase two VoloCity aircraft, and another with the intention of securing 150 additional units of Volocopter's eVTOLs as part of this collaboration. The two VoloCity aircraft will start testing in late 2024 of to provide ADAC Luftrettung's Emergency Medical Services (EMS) as supplementary aircraft in Germany. Upon successful completion of this test, the additional eVTOLs will be considered for use in future rescue missions.

Since 2018, nonprofit ADAC Luftrettung, and Volocopter, have been a part of a joint eVTOL feasibility study in EMS and rescue operations, sponsored by the ADAC Foundation with the Institut für Notfallmedizin und Medizinmanagement (INM, Institute for Emergency Medicine and Medical Management) at Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich. The study theoretically proved that the introduction of eVTOLs in aeromedical situations would add a significant tactical advantage. Today, the two companies cosigned two contracts: ADAC Luftrettung to purchase two VoloCity aircraft, and have the intention of securing 150 additional units of eVTOLs for its future EMS missions.

The two VoloCity aircraft are expected to go into research operations in Germany after receiving the type certificate from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) in 2024.  A pilot and an emergency physician will be dispatched to incident locations – to supplement, not to replace – rescue helicopters in order to provide rapid assistance from the air. After the successful completion of at least a two-year research operation in the German towns and regions of Idar-Oberstein and Dinkelsbühl, ADAC Luftrettung may deploy next-generation Volocopter eVTOLs in its rescue service operations.

Sabre and Air Canada form strategic distribution and retailing partnership

Sabre Corporation, a leading software and technology provider powering the global travel industry, announced this week the completion of a new multi-year distribution agreement that provides Sabre-connected agencies with long-term access to Air Canada’s full content via NDC channels. Under the agreement, Sabre will be able to provide agencies with significantly improved content and offers from Air Canada, including the airline’s dynamically priced fares and new ancillary services.

New, multi-year distribution agreement includes full range of NDC-sourced Air Canada content for Sabre-connected travel agencies

Long-term partnership ensures worldwide distribution via the Sabre travel marketplace

Launch of Air Canada’s NDC content expected in the coming months

Canada’s flagship carrier, Air Canada is actively working with Sabre on the launch of the airline’s NDC offers in the Sabre travel marketplace. The two companies expect to activate Air Canada’s NDC content in Sabre within the coming months. Once Air Canada’s NDC connection to Sabre is live, the Distribution Cost Recovery previously announced by Air Canada will be waived for Sabre-connected travel agencies using this path.

“We’re proud to be taking this next step with Sabre in providing the broadest range of rich Air Canada content, travel options and services to our customers and agency partners,” said Mark Nasr, Executive Vice President, Marketing and Digital for Air Canada. “Air Canada recognizes and appreciates Sabre’s progressive approach and the significant technology investments they’re making, which taken together, will deliver meaningful value to all travel industry stakeholders. This new partnership is the result of long-standing discussions, and it marks a significant next step towards delivering on Air Canada’s distribution promise: a smooth transition for agencies and travel buyers - both larger and smaller.”

Artemis Aerospace explores how aircraft operate

             As you sit back in your aeroplane seat and gaze out at the clouds below, you're probably not thinking about exactly what is keeping you in the air – or maybe you're actively trying not to think about it! The experts at Artemis Aerospace take a reassuring look at the essential parts of an aircraft which steer you to your destination.

An average commercial aeroplane weighs between 152.9 and 220.1 tonnes - and this is without adding the passengers, crew and baggage into the equation. It can seem unbelievable that something so incredibly heavy will taxi to the end of the runway and sail up into the sky. However, from the first flight by the Wright brothers in 1903 to 2023, when roughly 100,000 flights take off daily around the globe, this is exactly what happens; aviation is statistically one of the safest forms of transport in the world, with only one crash for every 7.1 million commercial flights.

Aerodynamics is the study of the properties of moving air and the interaction between the air and solid bodies moving through it. The aerodynamic forces of thrust, drag, lift and weight are what enable pilots to control the aircraft and steer it smoothly.

An aeroplane consists of millions of components; a Boeing 747-8, for example, has six million. These make up the main sections of a plane - the fuselage, wings, engines, tail section and landing gears, which all interact during the flight to keep the plane moving through the air. Unlike a car, a plane moves freely in three dimensions:

Rotation around the front to back axis is known as the roll

Rotation around the side-to-side axis is known as the pitch

Rotation around the vertical axis is called the yaw

The pilot has to control all three of these rotations to keep the plane steady and on course.

The fuselage is the main body of the aircraft and provides the foundation for the structure of the plane. It's where the passengers sit and it includes the cockpit, the control centre, so the pilots sit at the front of the fuselage, and it connects all the other parts.

An aeroplane's wings are a complex collection of parts and it's these which are used to steer it in the right direction. They create the upward force which lifts the plane off the ground, and are designed with ailerons and flaps to control roll. Ailerons are hinged surfaces on the lower edge of both wings, and are used in opposite directions, decreasing lift on one wing while increasing it on another, which enables the aircraft to roll to the right or left. The flaps are extended to increase the lift force exercised by the wings and are mostly deployed during take off and landing.

German airspace powered by Rohde & Schwarz

German airspace powered by Rohde & Schwarz

DFS Deutsche Flugsicherung GmbH and Rohde & Schwarz have successfully completed a nationwide radio modernization program with approx. 4000 air traffic control radios.

Rohde & Schwarz confirmed this week of the successful completion of the Radio Site Upgrade and Modernization (RASUM 8,33) program with DFS Deutsche Flugsicherung GmbH for all aircraft flying in German airspace. The program entails radio modernization, Germany-wide with approx. 4000 radios at nearly 100 radio sites, connected to the four large area control centers and 15 international airports operated by DFS.

The field-proven Rohde & Schwarz air traffic control (ATC) turnkey solution enables safe and efficient airspace operations.

"Having a partner like Rohde & Schwarz by our side throughout the entire project duration of multiple years is of great importance, as the company is very reliable. Their experts show the utmost technical understanding, and the company overall has an extraordinary depth of development, production and roll-out capability of turnkey systems," Verena Becker, DFS Project Manager RASUM 8,33, explains. "The communication with the trusting and supportive team, was always constructive and goal-oriented and made it a pleasure working with Rohde & Schwarz all the way from system design to implementation and commissioning."

AirFi wins three awards at Aircraft Interiors Expo 2023

Recognition of innovation and improvements in the passenger experience from three leading industry groups, presented in conjunction with Aircraft Interiors Expo 2023 in Hamburg, Germany 

Airline technology provider AirFi has been recognised for excellence in aircraft cabin technology, winning three separate awards at this year’s Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg. 

The AirFi suite of solutions won The Crystal Cabin Award for IFEC and Digital Services, the Onboard Hospitality (OBH) Award for Best Onboard Technology, and the PAX Tech Readership Award for Best Technology. 

The prestigious Crystal Cabin Award for IFEC and Digital Services was awarded by an international jury of in-flight experts for AirFi LEO, created in partnership with Iridium and SKYTRAC. The solution consists of an antenna smaller than a pen, which is placed inside a window frame to enable a connection to the Iridium Certus low-Earth orbit system. The data link allows for access to aircraft ACARS transmissions, validation of credit card payments and the use of WhatsApp and iMessage by passengers. 

Intelsat to deliver 2Ku connectivity upgrade to Japan Airlines

Intelsat, the operator of the world’s largest integrated satellite and terrestrial network and leading provider of Inflight Connectivity (IFC) services, has reached an agreement with long-time customer Japan Airlines (JAL) to upgrade about 50 Boeing 737s and 767s to the company’s 2Ku inflight connectivity solution.

“We value the trust that JAL has placed in Intelsat throughout our 10-year relationship,” said Dave Bijur, senior vice president of Commercial for Intelsat Commercial Aviation. “JAL was Intelsat’s first non-U.S. commercial aviation customer, and we look forward to continuing to support JAL’s market-leading inflight connectivity service in Japan where their guests enjoy free service.”

In addition to the fleet of Boeing 737s and 767s, JAL’s subsidiary airline, J-AIR Co. Ltd. is currently installing Intelsat’s 2Ku system on the carrier’s fleet of Embraer E190 aircraft. As recently announced, J-AIR will complete the installation of the 2Ku system on 14 E190s by the end of 2024. When completed, J-AIR will be the first regional airline in Japan to offer inflight entertainment and connectivity services.