ïżŒSpaceX Enters In-flight Connectivity Services Market with Hawaiian, JSX Deals
SpaceX made its official entry into the in-flight connectivity (IFC) service provider marketplace this month, with JSX and Hawaiian Airlines subsequently announcing deals to use the company’s Starlink satellites on their aircraft.
Starlink is a constellation of satellites in Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) that provides broadband internet service in areas where terrestrial options are too expensive, unreliable, or unavailable. At the beginning of 2022, Via Satellite reported that Starlink serves more than 145,000 users in 25 countries and regions.
“Pretty fly for a WiFi. First antenna installed and testing. Rapid deployment once certification achieved,” Alex Wilcox, CEO of JSX, tweeted on April 22 to announce the California-based public charter air carrier’s new deal with SpaceX.
The majority of routes operated by JSX are between airports located in California and southwestern destinations, with a fleet of 77 total Embraer 135s and 145s. The JSX brand is a subsidiary of private charter JetSuite, and it focuses on providing short-haul flights at prices that compete with commercial airline business cabin fares. The company previously had committed to becoming the launch customer for the SmartSky Networks IFC service.
Jonathan Hofeller, who serves as vice president of SpaceX, has also discussed the companyâs plans for in-flight connectivity services in several public appearances over the last year.
During a virtual appearance on a Connected Aviation Intelligence panel discussion about LEO satellite IFC for aviation services, Hofeller said the company has developed its own IFC terminal that leverages its phased array consumer antenna for aviation.
âHigh-speed, low-latency internet is critical in our modern age, and during air travel is no exception,â Hofeller said in a statement, commenting on the JSX agreement. âWith Starlink, weâre able to provide an internet experience similar to or better than what passengers experience at home. We are creating a future that when all customers walk on to the plane, the internet just works â no hassles, no logins. By being the first air carrier to adopt Starlink, JSX is setting this new standard for air travel.”
Several days after the JSX announcement, Hawaiian Airlines unveiled its own new agreement with SpaceX to add Starlink connectivity to its fleet of Airbus A330 and A321neo aircraft, as well as the Boeing 787-9s it currently has on order.
Hawaiian’s fleet of Boeing 717s that operate shorter inter-island flights will not be equipped with Starlink IFC terminals. According to the airline’s 2021 annual report filing, Hawaiianâs in-service fleet consists of 24 total A330-200s and 18 A321neos, with 10 total 787-9s on order under a 2018 purchase agreement with Boeing.
Peter Ingram, CEO of Hawaiian Airlines, discussed the Starlink agreement during the companyâs first quarter earnings call, held on April 26, noting that the Starlink IFC speeds will âsupport fast web browsing and streaming that weâve gotten used to on our devices on the ground.â
Ingram expects aircraft modifications for the new service to begin next year, and will have more details about when the first Starlink IFC-equipped passenger carrying flight will occur later this year. âWe will be deploying it with a simple interface and free of charge to all our guests for however many devices they are accessing on board. We have deliberately trailed the industry in deploying in-flight connectivity because current and previous generations of products perform below our standards over the Pacific, where most of our time in-flight is spent,â he said. âUntil now there was no offering that provided a superior product to match the rest of our in-flight experience. Starlink changes this, and we think our guests will be delighted when they have the chance to experience it.â
#CAIPODCAST Ep. 76: Ethiopian Airlines USA Regional Director Talks Pandemic Recovery, Air Cargo and More
On this episode of the Connected Aviation Intelligence Podcast, weâre joined by the new regional director for U.S. operations of Ethiopian Airlines, Samson Arega.
After a three-year stint as the country manager of Ethiopian Airlinesâ Canadian office, Arega transitioned to his new position as the leader of U.S. operations for Ethiopian earlier this year. Arega provides some perspective on how Ethiopianâs air cargo operations continue to grow, how the airline never fired any of its employees throughout the entirety of the pandemic, and some perspective on the airlineâs in-flight Wi-Fi and other new technologies it is using.
Have suggestions or topics we should focus on in the next episode? Email the host, Woodrow Bellamy, at [email protected], or drop him a line on Twitter @WbellamyIIIAC. Also, check out the agenda for the 2022 Connected Aviation Intelligence Summit just posted to our event website!
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Sun Country Chief Marketing Officer Confirmed as Keynote Speaker at CAI 2022
Brian Davis, the Chief Marketing Officer of Sun Country Airlines, has been confirmed as the opening keynote speaker for the third day of the 2022 Connected Aviation Intelligence Summit.
Brian was appointed Sun Countryâs Chief Marketing Officer in January 2018. He previously served as Special Advisor on Business Strategy to Wingo, a subsidiary of Copa Airlines, and Adjunct Professor of Marketing and PR at California State University – Los Angeles. From 2005 to 2017, Brian served in several leadership roles at Allegiant Air, including Vice President of Marketing and Sales. He holds a Master of Business Administration from The Wharton School.
Davis provided some perspective on low cost airline investment in in-flight connectivity equipment and service last year to Avionics International, one of the two publications behind the Connected Aviation Intelligence Summit. Check out his interview here, and be sure to register for this year’s Connected Aviation Intelligence Summit to see his keynote speech live!
#CAIPODCAST Ep. 75: IAMA Talks Connectivity, Navigating Crisis and Labor Challenges for Aircraft Modifications
On this episode of the Connected Aviation Intelligence Podcast, weâre joined by the new managing director of the Independent Aircraft Modifier Alliance (IAMA), Nina Schulz, and IAMAâs Alliance Manager, Annelouise van Dijke, to discuss some of the organizationâs latest progress advancing their goal of making independently provided aircraft maintenance more competitive against offerings provided by OEMs.
IAMA was first launched in 2019, and has grown its membership and subscribers to include Collins Aerospace, CarlisleIT, Envoy Aerospace, Etihad Engineering, and Lufthansa Technik, among others. The organization has been striving to improve the aftermarket supplemental type certification process for airlines and lessors since its inception. Schulz provides some progress updates after the first IAMA member completed the first IAMA audit process, an outlook for 2022, and some thoughts on how the process for acquiring, modifying, and operating in-flight connectivity on aircraft continues to evolve.
IAMA is hosting its next Virtual Think Tank (IVTT) on March 16 at 3 PM CET.
Have suggestions or topics we should focus on in the next episode? Email the host, Woodrow Bellamy, at [email protected], or drop him a line on Twitter @WbellamyIIIAC. Also, check out the agenda for the 2022 Connected Aviation Intelligence Summit just posted to our event website!
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#CAIPODCAST Ep. 74: PLAY CEO Talks Icelandâs New Low Cost Transatlantic Airline
On this episode of the Connected Aviation Intelligence Podcast, PLAY CEO Birgir JĂłnsson explains how his team plans to use a no-frills approach to operating a growing fleet of A321neo family aircraft, and whether he would ever consider adding in-flight connectivity (IFC) to the all-economy cabins.
JĂłnsson and a team of fellow former colleagues of Wow Air, the Icelandic low-cost carrier that ceased operations, first established PLAY in 2019. According to JĂłnsson, several of PLAYâs current executives were working on a new operational structure and air operatorâs certificate (AOC) right before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic with the support of some investors they were able to secure.
Have suggestions or topics we should focus on in the next episode? Email the host, Woodrow Bellamy, at [email protected], or drop him a line on Twitter @WbellamyIIIAC. Also, check out the agenda for the 2022 Connected Aviation Intelligence Summit just posted to our event website!
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#CAIPODCAST Ep. 73: A New Cloud-Native Cockpit Approach to Flying with Honeywell Anthem
On this episode of the Connected Aviation Intelligence Podcast, Jason Bialek, Honeywell Anthem Product Line Director, and Jed Johnson, a Pilatus PC-12 and PC-24 pilot, discuss Honeywellâs new cloud-native Anthem flight deck.
Honeywell first launched its new cloud-native Anthem flight deck during an unveiling ceremony in October. Lilium, the Munich-based electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) developer, has announced Anthem as the cockpit system for its 7-Seater Lilium Jet. Separately, Bristol, U.K.-based Vertical Aerospace will also use Anthem as the cockpit system for their VA-1X all-electric air taxi.
Bialek and Johnson provide an overview of how this new all-touchscreen connected flight deck could transform the way pilots fly while giving some insight on their current stage of development for Anthem in 2022.
Have suggestions or topics we should focus on in the next episode? Email the host, Woodrow Bellamy, at [email protected], or drop him a line on Twitter @WbellamyIIIAC. Also, check out the agenda for the 2022 Connected Aviation Intelligence Summit just posted to our event website!
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#CAIPODCAST Ep. 72: AFuzion CEO Vance Hilderman Talks Aviation Engineering Advancements, Jobs and New Technologies
On this episode of the Connected Aviation Intelligence Podcast, Vance Hilderman, CEO of Afuzion, discusses advances in aircraft technologies and some aviation engineering trends for 2022.
Hilderman is founder and CEO the CEO of Afuzion, and has also served as the CTO of several companies, he is a world-renowned aviation safety critical technology development and certification author, speaker and industry influencer. He joins this episode to give some insights on how commercial aircraft technologies are advancing and a reality check on the adoption of artificial intelligence and machine learning in aviation. We also discuss the future of aviation engineering jobs and why, despite the impact of COVID, the aviation industry has a growing need for engineers across multiple disciplines.
Have suggestions or topics we should focus on in the next episode? Email the host, Woodrow Bellamy, at [email protected], or drop him a line on Twitter @WbellamyIIIAC. Also, check out the agenda for the 2022 Connected Aviation Intelligence Summit just posted to our event website!
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#CAIPODCAST Ep. 71: IEEE’s David Witkowski Talks 5G C-Band and Aircraft Radio Altimeter Interference
On this episode of the Connected Aviation Intelligence Podcast, we discuss the ongoing work between the aviation and telecommunication industries regarding the deployment of 5G C-Band services and the associated interference issues that deployment presents for some aircraft radio (or radar) altimeters.
Since November, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and aviation industry leaders have been trying to establish a long-term solution that will allow 5G C-Band wireless services and flight operations to safely co-exist. The central issue on both sides of the 5G C-Band deployment results from the close proximity of the new 5G services from AT&T and Verizon in the 3.7-3.98 GHz band and the 4.2-4.4 GHz band where aircraft altimeters reside.
Witkowski, who chairs the Deployment Working Group of the IEEE Future Networks initiative, provides some perspective as to why the deployment of 5G C-Band services should not be a major concern for airlines, while also suggesting some possibilities for a long-term solution that could satisfy both the aviation and telecommunication sides of the debate.
Have suggestions or topics we should focus on in the next episode? Email the host, Woodrow Bellamy, at [email protected], or drop him a line on Twitter @WbellamyIIIAC.
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#CAIPODCAST Ep. 70: Intelsat’s John Wade Talks Future of Software-defined Satellites and In-flight Connectivity
On this episode of the Connected Aviation Intelligence Podcast, we feature a sponsored interview with Intelsat.
John Wade, president of the commercial aviation division of Intelsat, joins the episode to explain how the introduction of software-defined satellites will revolutionize in-flight connectivity (IFC).
Intelsat signed a contract with Airbus to build two OneSat satellites operating in multiple frequency bands that will power their next-generation software-defined network earlier this year.
John talks about how that technology will improve in-flight connectivity performance and also gives a status update on Intelsat’s current install base in terms of the number of connected commercial aviation aircraft using their current satellite network.
Learn more about how Intelsat is shaping the future of connected air travel by clicking here.
Have suggestions or topics we should focus on in the next episode? Email the host, Woodrow Bellamy at [email protected], or drop him a line on Twitter @WbellamyIIIAC.
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#CAIPODCAST Ep. 69: VistaJet’s Leona Qi Talks Business Aviation Supply Chain Issues
On this episode of the Connected Aviation Intelligence Podcast, we feature a discussion with Leona Qi, president of the U.S. division of VistaJet.
We recorded this interview live at VistaJet’s booth during the 2021 National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) conference and exhibition in Las Vegas. Leona provides some insightful perspective on some of the personnel and aircraft related supply chain issues that VistaJet and the entire business aviation segment as a whole is facing right now.
Have suggestions or topics we should focus on in the next episode? Email the host, Woodrow Bellamy at [email protected], or drop him a line on Twitter @WbellamyIIIAC.
Listen to this episode below, or check it out on iTunes or Google Play If you like the show, subscribe on your favorite podcast app to get new episodes as soon as theyâre released.
