Wilco Films, a commercial film production house based in the San Francisco Bay Area, has just produced an excellent video on the joys of Wi-Fi on Virgin America, which has become the first carrier to offer the service across its fleet (okay, Virgin America's Airbus A320 fleet ain't huge, but the carrier's dedication to delivering a killer in-flight experience to passengers is huge). Check it out!
This Monday, 1 June, Flight Global will formally recognize the massive impact that in-flight entertainment and connectivity (IFE&C) is having on the aviation industry when it launches a dedicated IFE&C channel on its web site.
The channel will showcase all the latest news about the IFE&C community - and if you've been following this blog you know there is a ton of news to report.
Additionally, the Runway Girl blog - and its companion, the Runway Girl video blog - will feature prominently on the IFE&C channel. You'll also find an archive of all Flight's recent top IFE&C features.
Okay, here's a sneak peak (note - we still have a few tweaks to make)
We hope that Flight Global will become your destination of choice for IFE&C news and views (and I'll work my tail off to try and make that happen).
Speaking of working one's tail, ahem, if you've got a tale to tell about the IFE&C community - or just want to chat about a particular experience with IFE&C - don't hesitate to contact me at mary.kirby@flightglobal.com or send me a Tweet at @RunwayGirl or befriend me on Facebook, where I'm still known as Mary Kirby by friends and family.
I can also be found on YouTube under the channel RunwayGirlMaryKirby and on FriendFeed, and.....oh my God, I believe a drink is in order. Happy Friday.
It was bound to happen - a road warrior and blogger tries out JetBlue's free but limited in-flight email and messaging service, writes about its limitations, and then tells the carrier plainly to offer a proper Wi-Fi service.
In a "memo to JetBlue", The VAR Guy says: "Um, there's only one thing worse than no WiFi service... it's free service where you don't really have full access to the Web. And in this case, JetBlue's decision to offer such a limited menu of Internet content was painfully lame."
Readers of Runway Girl know that I'm a huge fan of JetBlue (I LOVE IT). The JFK-based carrier changed the entire US in-flight entertainment landscape with its live television offering, care of now-subsidiary LiveTV.
But as hard as it is for me to say this, I think The VAR Guy is dead-on. JetBlue needs to step up its Wi-Fi offering ASAP if it wants to remain competitive with its peers - AirTran Airways, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines/Northwest Airlines and Virgin America, which are all offering Aircell's Gogo broadband service.
You can add Alaska Airlines and Southwest Airlines to the list when Row 44 receives permanent authority from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for its Ku-band-based connectivity service, of which both carriers are currently trialling. Yes, that authority has been a long time in coming and if it doesn't come soon, I'll have to go back to trolling the FCC web-site for updates on my Friday nights. Oh dear God, nooooooo!
But back to JetBlue. As reported here previously, the low-cost carrier intends to offer passengers a broadband-like experience via LiveTV's Oasis connectivity product in the near-term.
Oasis will combine the low-data rate capability of LiveTV's Kiteline service (named thusly because it offers a thin pipe from the aircraft to the ground) with LiveTV's ability to upload large amounts of cached content to onboard servers via its wireless aircraft data link (WADL). It's clever but will it be enough?
Passengers' appetites for high-speed Internet is clearly growing - thanks to Aircell. Will Oasis satiate The VAR Guy?
Key quote:
"The VAR Guy will gladly pay $9(US) for in-flight WiFi that offers complete Internet access. In the meantime, please stop teasing your loyal customers with such a limited, useless service. Admittedly, the JetBlue in-flight WiFi service is in beta. Let's hope the final, production system is vastly different."
Meanwhile, LiveTV is looking past the here and now and into the future with a possible Ka-band-based product. Will those studies need to be stepped up? So many questions...
David Friedman used to be the king marketer at Boeing's now-defunct satellite-based connectivity service Connexion. As VP, marketing and direct sales Friedman was responsible for product management, service evolution, pricing, distribution, sales, and promotional activities. Through his efforts, nearly 500,000 customers had the opportunity to use Connexion's service in the first two years of operation and satisfaction levels were greater than 90%.
A few months ago I had the very good fortune to speak with Friedman, who is now the executive vice-president and chief marketing officer for ATX Group, which provides telematics and information services to automobile manufacturers. It was an enlightening conversation to say the least.
First off, Friedman made clear that he no longer represents Boeing so his comments here are completely his own. But while Friedman has been out of the aviation industry for two years, he stays in touch with what is going on. His comments are particularly apropos in light of yesterday's conversation about whether passengers will pay outright for in-flight connectivity when the same high-speed services are free or virtually free on the ground. Here is Part 1 of a two-part blog based on our conversation.
One of the big challenges associated with offering Ku-band-based connectivity - the likes of which was offered by Boeing - versus the air-to-ground (ATG)-based offering provided by Aircell is cost. "The equipment Aircell is putting on board is about $100,000, whereas Connexion was reported as $600,000 on up by the press at the time. I cannot give you the actual [Connexion cost] number. But half a million is a very safe number. Connexion was larger. It weighed a lot more. And the equipment used on the plane is different."
With such a hefty price-tag for Connexion, airlines were reluctant to pay for installations.
"We [initially] offered to give it away as a trial for free but the airlines said, 'If this is successful, you want us to pay for all these antennas?' They were concerned that if customers were demanding it, it would put them [the airline] in a tenuous situation in terms of customer relations.
"So you have the cost of the system and cost of the infrastructure. You can offset that through a variety of ways, such as advertising. But sponsorship and advertising and direct fees is not enough! People believe, by the way, that they should have Internet for free because they are used to having Wi-Fi for free. Then couple that with the issue of power outlets. If an airline doesn't have enough power outlets on the plane, how are they going to charge a flat fee?"
"What we did in Connexion was we set up our pricing for two hour blocks. We were able to set up a system in the plane and on the ground that said if you only have a battery that lasts two hours and you don't have power, then the best thing to do is to buy it in the one hour or two hour or 30min grouping so we had little cards. We specifically set up that pricing so we can adapt to what the customers wanted."
Friedman says Connexion had upwards of 500,000 users after two years. "It wasn't insignificant and our loyalty rates were extraordinarily high - I think around 90-plus percent. If you used it once, you wanted to use it again. The problem was we only had 200 planes equipped and to cover that cost, you needed a dramatic increase in the number of planes. They did have to pay for the installation. Lufthansa made a commitment. But if you look at the keys to success, you had to get American and United and we just couldn't get those planes to commit (after 9/11 and the SARS scare). So you had a fundamental issue relative to timing. Timing is half the battle in any kind of business."
Across the USA, people are excited about in-flight Wi-Fi (rightly so, it is fantastic), and they genuinely appear willing to pay the price for using it. But will passengers always be willing to pay for the pleasure?
The New York Times, in its brilliant 10 May article "The Price of Staying Connected", points out that wireless Internet access is "no longer a rarefied luxury" since it is being offered for free in cafes, parks, fast-food chains, campgrounds and gas stations. Hotels are also increasingly moving in the direction of free Wi-Fi. But not all of them.
Key quote from Randall Stempler, a lawyer in Manhattan:
"As far as I am concerned it is one of the most annoying of hotel charges....It should just be built into the rate, like electricity."
With this in mind, what will the in-flight landscape look like in two years? Will airplanes be the only place left where you have to pay for Wi-Fi? And, if this happens, will pressure from passengers force airlines to go ahead and make it "free" by building the cost into their ticket prices?
Who is going to make the payment - passengers or airlines?
It's something that JetBlue subsidiary LiveTV has been chewing on for some time. When I visited LiveTV in Melbourne, Florida last year, the company gave me some interesting slides. The first shows how, with the advent of AT&T's "no roaming, no long distance" Digital One rate plans in mid-1998, payphone use of all types plummeted, including in-flight payphones offered by Airfone.
The second slide suggests that while customers' expectations for in-flight Internet speed continues to increase, the proliferation of free options will decrease their willingness to pay.
Is LiveTV onto something? Will you still be willing to pay $12.95 outright for in-flight Wi-Fi in a few years?
The US House of Representatives has passed FAA reauthorization legislation that includes an amendment to formally ban the in-flight use of wireless devices for voice communications in the USA. In short, they don't want you to gab away on your cell phone and piss people off.
Now I'm all for reauthorizing the FAA. Bloody hell, lawmakers have taken long enough on this one. But what I don't think is right or fair or decent is DeFazio's ugly amendment, Section 423, which was included in the basic FAA reauthorization bill when it was introduced in February.
So what's next? Well the House FAA reauthorization bill HR.915 with the ban (Section 423) will go to the Senate. The Senate is working on its own version of the bill, and will introduce it in June after the week-long Memorial Day recess.
That means there is still a chance that this ban won't go through. A chance. Hopefully the Senate will take a more balanced look.
My colleague and good friend, ATI US editor Lori Ranson, was in Salt Lake City this week to attend the annual Regional Airline Association (RAA) conference and exhibition.
Lori, who Twitters under @Ransonnote - and has broken a ton of stories from RAA this week, such as this gem from yesterday - was kind enough to act as roving reporter for RWG and take some great video of the inside of the Mitsubishi Regional Jet (MRJ) mock-up.
The man you see inside the mock-up is Mitsubishi Aircraft Corp director, marketing sales and marketing department Yugo Fukuhara. He talks about the MRJ's slim seats, new-design arm rests, windows and luggage bins. Here is one of his key quotes, and then check out the video below (shouldn't the Ransonnote be blogging? :)
"The last prototype of the new slim seat will be complete by end of this year."
The last week and a half has been an exercise in self control for me. I've tried to pace out all the wonderful news I scored from Bombardier on my visit to the airframer's Montreal and Toronto plants.
But you didn't think I'd leave those kind Canadian folks without taking some video did you?
Check out my ultra-fast-paced adventure!
Bombardier has hinted at it before - that wireless IFE might find a place on the CSeries. But the company now believes there is "a good chance" that by the time its CSeries mainline airliner enters service in 2013, a wireless IFE offering may be viable.
The Canadian airframer tells RWG: "As we watch technology mature and as we listen to our customers we are starting to see a trend which would indicate that by 2013 a good portion of the common IFE systems (be that data, video, music, shopping etc) could be transmitted 'wirelessly'."
"The maturity isn't quite there yet to be definitive, but there is a good chance that by 2013, you could get on-board entertainment downloads to your laptop, or as a minimum, we could only provide power to the seat back video monitors, but their content wouldn't need a second wire, it would be transmitted wirelessly instead."
At present, Bombardier is not directly in talks with IFE providers. "Instead we are monitoring the market and watching the trends, both from technology and customer demand point of view," says the firm, adding: "We are not in a rush on this yet and as the technology evolves, we'll be able to get the latest for the CSeries when EIS nears. Our customers are saying the same."
We've talked a lot about the challenges of wireless IFE in the past. Boeing in 2007 scuppered plans to fit wireless IFE technology to its 787. One concern was that the 802.11n technology's specification had not yet been ratified by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.
"With the ratification of the 802.11n spec, this challenge has been overcome," Panasonic director of product marketing Cedric Rhoads told me last year. But other niggling issues persisted.
One of the lessons that Panasonic learned during the 787 wireless IFE project was that ultimately the weight savings in moving to a wireless distribution architecture was not realized as originally envisioned. "The concern for us was that the value of wireless was not there and it represented a very big trade-off in bandwidth, and thus capability", said Rhoads.
Thales chief engineer Ken Brady agreed with this assessment, noting that if you choose to do wireless, you're certainly providing less potential capability.
Wireless IFE came back into focus last year when Airbus commissioned Bluebox Avionics to provide its wireless system for inclusion in the A380 demonstration mock-up in Hamburg.
The test could assist Airbus in deciding if the technology makes sense for offerability on its A350. But in light of Bombardier's clear interest, and Airbus' potential interest, perhaps it's time for Panasonic and Thales to again focus on a wireless IFE offering.
Aircell's domination of in-flight Internet in the United States is nothing short of staggering. To date, the company has secured fleet-wide equipage deals with Delta Air Lines (and its Northwest Airlines merger partner), AirTran Airways and Virgin America, as well as hefty agreements with American Airlines and Air Canada, and a forthcoming trial on United Airlines.
But as the US fleet goes Gogo, and passenger demand for the air-to-ground (ATG)-based service grows, will Aircell's network be able to keep pace?
The company assures me that it won't have any problems meeting its airline commitments without a drop in service quality. Each of Aircell's 92 cell towers are subdivided into three sectors, which basically triples each cell tower's capacity.
It is relatively easy to further subdivide the cell tower into additional sectors, through "sectorization", to further scale capacity as needed.
"Since Gogo Inflight Internet service relies on the same cellular technology that ground-based cellular service providers use, we benefit from every technical advance and best practice in that industry (e.g., using cell splitting and sectorization to coax exponential growth in capacity out of a cell site)," says Aircell CTO Joe Cruz.
Last year, Aircell's network focus was on ensuring 100% geographic coverage of the continental USA. This year the firm's move to add cell sites and the use of sectorization "ensures that no matter how large we grow, we will be able to meet our service commitments", says Cruz.
Well that's good to know. For the as yet uninitiated, this is what to expect when you log onto Gogo during a flight.
Norwegian regional Wideroe today made headlines for taking delivery of Bombardier's first Q400 NextGen turboprop. If you are a regular reader of RWG, you already knew Wideroe was earmarked for this bird, which features LED lighting, new ceiling panels, "dished" window sidewalls to maximize light entering through the window, and larger overhead luggage bins. Wideroe has opted to equip the aircraft with 78 B/E-made "Model 945" seats.
But what type of seating options might Q400 NextGen customers have in the future?
Bombardier has revealed to me that it is considering offering business-class seating as a new optional feature for the Q400 NextGen. I wonder what carrier is thinking about flying the Q400 NextGen in a two-class configuration? Anyhoo, check out the airframer's rendering below of a three-abreast business-class cabin.
Bombardier already offers B/E's new "Spectrum" premium economy seat as an optional feature for the Q400 NextGen. It's a heavier seat than the Model 945 but quite comfortable. See pic below. As reported last week, Canadian regional Porter Airlines has upgraded its Q400s with Spectrum seating.
Even though US Airways has been testing Lumexis' fibre-to-the-screen IFE system on a single Airbus A320 flying between Orange County, Phoenix and Atlanta - and, by all accounts, the trial has been a success - the carrier has made known that it does not intend to equip its domestic fleet with IFE any day soon. Indeed, US Airways reiterated that very point last week in its employee newsletter (look at the pic below and tell me you wouldn't rather see this over the carrier's current domestic offering).
US Airways says its plan for bringing IFE to domestic passengers is "on hold" because financing for hardware installs has dried up due to the current economic slump.
But surely the carrier must also be considering if it would be more prudent to offer in-flight broadband since most of its rivals have committed - on one level or another - to keeping passengers connected in US airspace. AirTran last week became the latest US operator to join Aircell's robust list of in-flight broadband customers.
In any case, despite a lack of commitment from US Airways, Lumexis would like you to know just how well its system is performing on that A320.
Now in its tenth week of testing, the system is proving both extremely popular with users and exceptionally reliable, according to Lumexis.
Key quote from Lumexis CEO and industry veteran Doug Cline:
"I have been manufacturing major avionics systems for over thirty years and this is without a doubt the most impressive record for a sophisticated new system entering service. We have never delayed a single flight and have never even required a system reboot. That is truly unprecedented for any high performance, multi-user AVOD system.
"As a result of this achievement, a number of airlines have had key managers on the aircraft and we are currently in negotiations with them for future installations."
The Lumexis system is built around an advanced fiber optic technology which "is far simpler than legacy AVOD systems" offered by other IFE manufacturers, claims Lumexis.
The California-based firm says the extensive flight demonstration on US Airways' A320 gives evidence that fewer boxes yields an inherently more reliable system.
But is a launch customer forthcoming? Cline tells Runway Girl:
"Since our FAA-certified product, currently in daily revenue service with a major airline, has now demonstrated our claims of dramatically lower weight, lower cost of ownership and greater reliability, Lumexis is rapidly gaining wide recognition among the major OEMs and airlines around the globe.
"Thus, we are absolutely confident that we will secure a new launch customer within the very near future as we continue negotiation with several of the world's major airlines on upcoming projects. Moreover, our company is exceptionally well-backed financially and thus has the long-term resources to weather the broad effects of recession on our potential customers."
Well now, that IS interesting.
IAG's Addison Schonland recently chatted with In-Stat analyst Daryl Schoolar about his new report on the in-flight connectivity market.
Schoolar's numbers are quite compelling - by 2013 the business could be generating $2.2bn/year with 6,250 planes Wi-Fi enabled. That is awesome growth from an estimated $49m in 2009 and $272m in 2010, notes Schonland.
Schoolar also gives his two cents about Row 44 - is the firm having installation challenges? - and the T-Mobile/ViaSat solution that Lufthansa hopes to adopt.
If you haven't yet had the chance, check out the podcast at:
http://iagblog.podomatic.com/entry/2009-05-11T15_28_50-07_00
Porter Airlines is a gem. There is no other way to describe it. I finally had a chance to check out the Canadian operator's service last week and I was amazed at its gleaming Toronto City Centre Airport (TCCA) terminal, which boasts a complementary café service, free Wi-Fi and the type of seating you'd expect to see in a first-class-only premium lounge.
Porter currently flies 12 70-seat Q400s but it continues to expand and will have a total 18 of the type by year-end. The carrier even revealed to me that it is open to the Q400X, Bombardier's propped 90-seat stretched version of the turboprop, pending more knowledge of the type's performance characteristics.
So what do you get when you fly Porter? Try extra-comfortable leather seats (the carrier recently upgraded from the baseline "925" seat to snazzy new Spectrum seats), LOTS of legroom, a proper snack-box even on short-hop flights and a lot of love from the beautifully-tailored flight attendants. Check out the pics below and then read on.
So what might travellers get in the future? Well, it makes little sense for Porter to offer installed in-flight entertainment to passengers due the short duration of most of its flights (it does offer a nice in-flight magazine, which is published quarterly).
However, and this is the part I love, Porter is considering offering in-flight connectivity to passengers "especially for data", reveals a Porter spokesman. "We're thinking about how it might be practical for our business model."
He says the Aircell solution - currently offered in the USA - "might work to a large extent to our network but we're probably a ways away from doing something like that".
Well, good on ya, Porter. If you do push forward with connectivity, you'd be the first regional to do so.
Continental Airlines is in the process of equipping its Boeing 737NG and Boeing 757-300 domestic aircraft with JetBlue subsidiary LiveTV's latest live television offering, LTV3.
We've talked about this before. The 80-channel offering is going to wow passengers. Here are some pics, taken by airliners.net forum user CALTECH, and then read on to see what you get and why it's so important.
Customers will be able to choose from a variety of programming from DirecTV, including sports, news, weather, children's programming and general entertainment. The initial channel programming lineup offered through the in-flight entertainment system includes CBS, NBC, FOX News, CNN Headline News, ESPN, Animal Planet, The History Channel, Food Network, Nickelodeon, MTV and other popular channels.
The system will eventually offer a moving map and additional stored entertainment content. Continental says the new service includes in-seat power that does not require the use of an adapter.
Now that is interesting. We know Continental has not yet settled on an in-flight connectivity offering (it had originally planned to offer LiveTV's basic Kiteline offering but that now seems less certain).
However, the fact that Continental is providing in-seat power to passengers says a lot. It means Continental knows that even 80 channels of TV won't stop road warriors from pulling out their laptops and getting some work done. Surely a high-speed connection must be next?
If Continental formally announces a broadband connectivity service, the carrier will quickly climb to the top of the leader board in terms of IFE&C on US domestic flights.
But then again, we already know that live television and broadband is the perfect combo. I take you back to a little trend watch blog I wrote in February 2008.
In recent days I've posted several stories about Bombardier's activities. It is safe to say that the Canadian airframer is busy as heck with the CSeries and its Q400 line. And it is still pushing out elegantly outfitted NextGen CRJs and business aircraft for customers around the world.
It is not news to anybody that the global economic crisis has had a extremely negative impact on the business aviation sector, and Bombardier has not walked away unscathed.
Last month the firm admitted that its inventory of unsold "white tails" had surged to 19 aircraft in the fourth quarter. Visting the company's Montreal headquarters last week, I had the opportunity to snap some photos of said white tails.
I think it says a lot about Bombardier that the firm gave me no-holds-barred access to the truth, as difficult as it is for the airframer to see brand new aircraft without a home. I thank them for that. Note to Oprah - I hear you're a fan of business jets. Check these beauties out.
And finally, a hopeful shot - Bombardier's packed employee parking lot.
An issue that is near and dear to my heart - in-flight mobile cell phone usage - is back in the fray now that major trade groups have joined the growing chorus of objections to a House FAA reauthorization bill amendment that would formally ban wireless devices for voice communications when an aircraft is airborne in the USA.
The CTIA, the Telecommunications Industry Association, the Satellite Industry Association, the Consumer Electronics Association, and TechAmerica have all asked that a proper study be performed before a permanent federal ban is implemented. Their request mirrors that which was recently made by two major consumer groups.
So why perform a study? Because the gravity of a federal ban is so significant. It would, without a doubt, stop this type of technological advancement in the USA while the rest of the world adopts in-flight mobile connectivity en masse. For those who have not been following this issue, let me be clear - the bill would ban passengers from making voice calls on wireless devices (just passengers, mind you, not crew or federal marshals). That includes mobile phones but also VoIP. It does not ban telephony over wired devices.
The Inflight Passenger Communications Coalition (IPCC) was formed by a group of industry stakeholders with the goal of stopping a federal ban from being passed (current FCC and FAA bans already exist, but these are not locked into the harder-to-open vault of federal law).
The legislation, proposed by the very misguided Representative Peter DeFazio, originally came in standalone form as the "Hang-Up Act". It has since been incorporated into FAA reauthorization legislation.
This is significant. The FAA needs to be funded. In less than five months, lawmakers will vote on this legislation or vote to pass another extension to fund the agency.
"If the world was perfect," says IPCC spokesman Carl Biersack, the coalition would like to see a study mandated in lieu of the ban before the legislation "reaches the House floor".
As these things go, the Senate is drafting its own FAA reauthorization legislation. Carl says he does not know if the same type of amendment will be tacked on to the Senate's version of the bill, but notes that some senators have looked at the proposed ban with a sense of scepticism.
"We do have some champions both in the House and Senate. They have communicated to us that they are. They have not played a public role as yet," says Carl.
I'm not surprised that lawmakers are staying quiet on this issue. When DeFazio introduced the Hang-Up Act, he said the public "doesn't want to be subjected to people talking on their cell phones on an already over-packed airplane". There was just one problem - DeFazio never formally queried the public.
"Stakeholders, detractors, everyone hasn't had input. The [legislation] has been done without the benefit of a review. That is why we feel our position as a study is very valid. We are not advocating a result. We are not advocating that applications be applied tomorrow on commercial flights in the USA," says an IPCC spokesman.
The IPCC may not be advocating it, but you can be sure that is the ultimate goal. And what would be so wrong with that? Countries all over this fair globe now permit the in-flight usage of mobile cell phones and there have been no social problems. None!
Where is the outcry in Asia, Europe and the Middle East? Where is the gnashing of fists and the grinding of teeth? Where is the air rage? It isn't there. It's a farce. Just like this legislation.
The CSeries training facility that Bombardier will start erecting this fall is called CIASTA or the "Complete Integrated Aircraft System Test Area".
As you'll see from this exclusive slide, CIASTA will house the first complete test vehicle "enabling earlier product maturity".
The building will be in place one year ahead of flight testing. The CSeries will enter into service in 2013.
With AirTran's clever marketing stunt from this morning still fresh in our heads, it's easy to forget that American Airlines got the Gogo ball rolling last summer, and that Virgin America kept the momentum going with a big YouTube live event that proved Aircell's in-flight broadband system can indeed support a live broadcast as well as a plane-load of crazed journalists, bloggers, techies and YouTube stars.
I loved seeing this morning's NBC Today Show exchange between Meredith and a reporter aboard the AirTran flight, but it was a not dissimilar performance to Sir Richard Branson's interview with the CBS Morning Show in February (although, let's face it, Richard is tres
cute).
But enough about my industry crushes. Now, while I do not want to detract from AirTran - the carrier is one smart cookie to be secretly equipping its aircraft with Gogo in order to announce today that it will offer the service fleet-wide by mid-summer - I must take my hat off to American and Virgin America.
Both carriers today sent separate gentle email reminders to the news world that they were early adopters of Gogo and that they are trying to equip as many aircraft as humanly possible (technicians are working overtime so that you and I can have in-flight Wi-Fi...thank you technicians!).
Clearly anticipating its Atlanta rival's announcement today, Delta - Gogo's third adopter - made a similar public relations move yesterday, saying its fleet will be equipped by end of summer.
But for the sake of clarity, here is where AA and VA stand.
American was the first airline to install Gogo on its 767-200 aircraft that fly primarily transcon routes. In April, the company announced the expansion of its relationship with Gogo and plans to install the service on 318 aircraft that fly primarily domestic routes.
Since its April announcement, American has installed the service on nearly 20 MD-80s, with plans to complete the 150 scheduled aircraft by the end of 2009. In addition, American is working to install Gogo on the new 737s this year, with plans to install the service on the current 737s beginning next year.
Virgin America already offers Gogo on 24 of its 28 aircraft and says that by 25 May its entire fleet will do so. Yes, it's a small fleet, but when it comes down to brass tax, Virgin America will be the very first carrier to offer Gogo fleet-wide.
Aircell must be pleased as punch that carriers are now chomping at the bit to get as many aircraft equipped with Gogo as possible. If the firm is still looking for cash, I'd imagine these headlines don't hurt a damn bit.
If Aircell was public, would you buy the stock now?
Two more Bombardier CRJ900 NextGen regional jets are being readied for delivery to the Iraqi Government.
The airframer last year delivered the first of 10 CRJ900 NextGen aircraft destined for the country, amidst a flurry of controversy.
As reported last year by Flight's David Kaminski-Morrow, Kuwait Airways threatened to impound new aircraft ordered for Iraq and, in late August 2008, obtained a seizure order against the aircraft in a move to secure compensation from Iraqi Airways and the Iraqi Government for destruction of its fleet in the 1990-91 Gulf conflict.
But Quebec Superior Court judge Paul Chaput lifted the seizure order on 1 October in respect of the Iraqi Government after it claimed state immunity - although this does not similarly extend to Iraqi Airways.
Bombardier is optimistic that everything is going to be worked out within 30 days to ensure continued delivery of CRJ900 NextGen aircraft to the country. It stresses that Bombardier's agreement has always been with the Iraqi Government.
Okay, so what should passengers expect to find when they enter an Iraqi CRJ900 NextGen? How about a two-class configuration, extra-comfortable leather seats, hot meals and wood-type flooring in the bathroom! Well, see for yourself. I boarded the aircraft last week at Bombardier's Mirabel plant.
Low-cost carrier AirTran Airways has become the latest US operator to partner with in-flight connectivity provider Aircell to offer passengers wireless Internet access.
However, the carrier intends to move faster than its competition by equipping its entire 136-strong fleet of Boeing 737 and 717 aircraft with Aircell's Gogo broadband system by mid-summer.
The ambitious project, which has been kept under wraps until now, sort of, was officially kicked off this morning with a Wi-Fi flight from Baltimore/Washington International airport attended by press. Yes, I was supposed to be on that flight (at press time, it will still be in the air), but I couldn't make it due to all sorts of reasons that you care not about.
I do want to take a moment to congratulate AirTran on its clever decision to beat other carriers to the punch and quickly offer Wi-Fi to all passengers. The airline is going to find itself in a bit of a dog fight to the finish, however, since Delta Air Lines yesterday announced it will complete its fleetwide installations at the end of September. Isn't it nice to see carriers now battling for in-flight connectivity headlines?
Key quote from AirTran chairman and CEO Bob Fornaro:
"Giving business and leisure travelers a consistent, high-quality experience at a low price is a top priority. We feel that Wi-Fi on every flight gives us a distinct competitive advantage over other airlines. Our passengers will know with confidence that no matter which flight they are on, the airplane cabin will be their mobile office, social network, online mall or whatever they want it to be."
AirTran currently offers XM satellite radio to passengers. The carrier teased the possibility of Wi-Fi, HDTV and other offerings being added to its amenities as part of its "EveryFlight" advertising campaign, in which it solicited suggestions for new in-flight services from interested consumers. Clearly, it was planning to offer Wi-Fi long before the campaign started, however.
AirTran joins the aforementioned Delta as a Gogo customer, as well as American Airlines (expanding to 300 aircraft) Virgin America (going fleetwide on a small fleet) and United Airlines (which will trial Gogo shortly). Air Canada will also start offering Gogo on transborder flights, once they reach US airspace (or are within close enough distance to the US towers).
Alaska Airlines and Southwest Airlines, meanwhile, continue to trial Row 44's satellite-based broadband solution.
For more on AirTran's Gogo coup, check out industry expert Addison Schonland's latest podcast at http://iagblog.podOmatic.com/entry/2009-05-12T04_06_48-07_00
Bombardier has revealed its very first Q400 NextGen to Runway Girl.
The aircraft, which is headed to SAS unit Wideroe, is equipped with 78 B/E Aerospace "Model 945" seats (click on pic for fuller view of specs).
You may recall that SAS last year placed orders for 14 Q400 NextGen aircraft for its Wideroe and AirBaltic arms as part of a deal to replace its grounded fleet of 27 Q400s.
Last week, I visited Bombardier in Canada, where the firm exclusively revealed its new CSeries flight deck to me in Montreal.
Then I headed to Toronto, where the Wideroe Q400 NextGen aircraft was undergoing Transport Canada inspection in advance of delivery.
Here are the very first photos of the new turboprop, which boasts LED lighting, a new sidewall design to maximize light entering through the window, and larger overhead bins than its Q400 predecessor.
Oh yes, and that last snap is of yours truly in front of a SAS CRJ900 NextGen (if you know about SAS's recent history, touched on during the early days of this blog, you'll know why this is rather sweet).
Abu Dhabi -based Etihad Airways has unveiled its new first-class cabin suite on a brand new Airbus A340-600, which is due to enter service at the end of August. And boy does this offering have some serious bells and whistles.
The first-class cabin contains 12 individual suites. I gotta say that the "luxury changing room with full-length mirror" sounds intriguing. Here's what you get:
Key quote from Etihad chief executive James Hogan:
"Competition for premium customers remains intense and during the last 12 months a number of airlines have unveiled significant enhancements to their first class cabins, with others deciding to remove the cabin completely from their aircraft.
"A downturn is exactly the time when an airline needs to demonstrate its commitment to the very highest standards of service excellence. The economic turbulence that the aviation industry is currently experiencing will give way to calmer times, and when it does our investment and product innovation will ensure that we have not simply remained competitive, but that we are the market leader.
"With this in mind, we feel the time is right for us to raise the bar and we believe that our new first class cabin, together with the enhancements we have already made to our first class service, re-establishes our position as market leader in terms of luxury air travel."
Etihad Airways flies 21 services a week from London Heathrow and seven flights per week from Manchester to its home base in Abu Dhabi. The full roll-out of the new first-class suites in the airline's fleet is expected to be completed by the end of 2010.
Connectivity solutions that enable passengers to send and receive text messages and email, browse the Internet and make cell phone calls during flight are being adopted on a broad scale by airlines across the globe. But while commercial take-up of in-flight connectivity has dominated the headlines, business aviation also represents a viable growth sector for airborne communications service providers.
This paradigm was underscored today by Aircell's announcement that Lisbon-headquartered private jet club Jet Republic has selected the US firm's SwiftBroadband solution for its entire fleet of 110 Learjet 60 XR aircraft.
The deal marks the largest SwiftBroadband system order ever placed.
Powered by Thrane & Thrane, Aircell's satellite-based SwiftBroadband solution harnesses Inmarsat's higher-bandwidth aeronautical service, which provides a pipe to the aircraft that can be used for cockpit, cabin and operational applications nearly anywhere on earth.
"For customers with global connectivity needs, our new SwiftBroadband system is the very latest in affordable communications - and a dramatic leap forward from earlier generations of technology," says Aircell senior vice-president, business aviation solutions Andrew Geist.
The SwiftBroadband product interfaces with Aircell's network-neutral Axxess cabin system, which comprises an aircraft wireless hotspot, wired and wireless telephony handsets, PBX (private brand exchange) switching, and other in-cabin functions. Axxess comes standard with two built-in channels of Iridium satcom.
"We currently sell Axxess, the base system, at almost every original equipment manufacturer as either standard or a production option and that goes from the Gulfstream G550 business jet all the way down to a Hawker Beechcraft Kingair turboprop and Cessna," says Geist.
Installing the Axxess system with Aircell's SwiftBroadband solution as an add-on "would be the best solution" for operates outside the USA since a dedicated air-to-ground (ATG) network is not in place.
For Jet Republic, the combined offering will enable its members "to keep in touch with the world, even from 51,000ft", says founder and CEO Jonathan Breeze.
In the USA, where Aircell operates an ATG network, the combination of Axxess and the company's high-speed Internet offering, dubbed the Aircell ATG 4000, is expected to be more compelling to operators, as it allows passengers and crew to use their own 802.11b/g-equipped Wi-Fi data devices - laptops, personal digital assistants (PDAs) BlackBerrys and portable gaming systems - to check e-mail, tap into an office network and do "hard-core web surfing", says Geist.
The commercial airline version of the service - known as Gogo - has already been selected by airlines representing more than half of the North American mainline market. The system is flying today with American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and Virgin America, and is slated to be installed on aircraft operated by Air Canada, Delta's merger partner Northwest Airlines and United Airlines, among other undisclosed customers.
Of its Axxess clients, Aircell says there is a "very good base" that has either been interested in high-speed Internet "for quite some time" or is now "becoming interested in it". Some operators are looking at putting all three systems - Axxess, the SwiftBroadband solution, and the Aircell ATG 4000 on aircraft that fly internationally.
The first shipsets of the Aircell ATG 4000 will be available in July, two months earlier than originally planned due to "pent up demand", says Geist.
Helping to spur this interest is the minimal weight of the Aircell ATG 4000. "When you look at the equipment package that goes on a business jet, the total weight - if you include all components of the Axxess and Aircell ATG 4000 systems - is 23lb (10.4kg) in total," says Geist.
"When you think of the dramatic change that represents from the Ku-band-based systems, it has really opened the market for a lot of folks."
Such an offering will no doubt pose competition to Arinc Direct's Ku-band service for business jets called SKYLink, which provides broadband links to aircraft equipped with Rockwell Collins' eXchange product line.
Rockwell Collins, provider of the aircraft systems, and Arinc joined forces for the service in January of 2008, a move necessitated by the demise in 2006 of Connexion by Boeing, Rockwell Collins' original choice for a broadband satellite services provider.
But other providers of less sophisticated offerings are ready to make their mark in the business aviation community. ASiQ CEO Ron Chapman has invented a patent-pending system called SafeCell that is being billed as an alternative approach for corporate jet passengers to use their cell phones onboard aircraft "without the requirement for installing complex and expensive GSM Picocell network infrastructure and jamming systems".
SafeCell is a software application installed on a cell phone, which operates in flight or offline mode and takes control of the cell phone to communicate via Bluetooth. The onboard installation of a Bluetooth access point, being similar to a Wi-Fi installation, allows wireless connectivity from the passenger's mobile phone or any Bluetooth capable communications device such as laptops and PDAs, according to Chapman.
"If you already have an Iridium system - currently 18,000 aircraft do - ASiQ has developed a simple solution using a laptop or UMPC (ultra-mobile PC) with Bluetooth dongle. The system works just the same as a permanent installation and has been in operation now for three months on a Falcon2000ex," he says, noting, however, that SafeCell is "satellite-link neutral" in that it can be operated over Iridium, Thuraya, and other satellites.
At this stage, SafeCell allows text, email and news text updates into the aircraft. The ability to provide voice has also been added, says Chapman. A voice call via SafeCell costs $1.00 per minute, while SMS starts at 25 cents.
Chapman believes the offering has global appeal. "When you look at cell phones globally, only 10% have Wi-Fi, while 90% have Bluetooth. Admittedly in the USA, Wi-Fi is probably more prolific, but still it's probably only 20%."
Some pretty significant news here, folks. Lufthansa is no longer certain it will reignite broadband Internet on its overseas flights this year.
The carrier is still very much interested, but some issues need to be sorted. Also, there are no guarantees broadband will be offered on Luftie's first A380 (due early next year), but we already know the in-flight service is going to rock no matter what (Wi-Fi is some nice icing to the cake, however).
A big word of thanks to Jens for being so candid atop a gorgous penthouse in New York City.
And a big shout out to my friend Max and my sister Anne, whose company, Not Bad Design, is helping me with these videos. I think we're getting better, don't you?
Finally, I want to thank Bombardier, which took me on an amazing tour this week (they snapped the above pic of me in downtown Toronto.) What a lovely city, and what great stories I've got to tell.
What's got five 15.1in LCD screens, a sidestick with auto throttle, glareshield tuning, integrated overhead panel, virtual panels, a cursor and keyboard, and an electronic check-list (with options for single and dual head-up displays and class 2 EFB)?
That would be Bombardier's new CSeries flight deck. It's no secret that Bombardier selected Pro Line Fusion, the latest integrated avionics suite from Rockwell Collins, for the CSeries family that it is developing for service entry in 2013.
But the previous flight deck iteration called for four high-def, landscape-format screens - one in front of each pilot, the other two stacked in the centre - not the five screen interchangeable ensemble you see before you.
By the way, that white knob is a cursor control. Ben says the CSeries will be the first narrowbody aircraft with a cursor control (the Boeing 787 has one).
So where did I take these extraordinary pics? (And yes, they would have been more extraordinary if I had a better camera!) Well Bombardier was kind enough to give me a sneak preview of the flight deck at its Aerospace Product Development Centre (APDC) in St Laurent today.
Having that extra screen comes in handy, says Bombardier new commercial aircraft programme director Ben Boehm, noting that if one of the top four stopped working, "You can still fly a revenue flight."
So will Bombardier update it's CSeries reconfigurable engineering flight simulator (REFS) to the new design? You betcha, say executives. That will happen in June.
However, I gave the current model a whirl today.
All I can say is that, for the first time in my simulated flying experience, I didn't crash the plane. Thank God. I was feeling a bit anxious for my "passengers".
(Yes, I know this isn't classic IFE&C and interiors, but I couldn't help myself)
You may have seen snippets floating around on the Internet that claim Aircell's Gogo in-flight connectivity solution does not comply with necessary security measures to ensure passenger privacy. Snippets like this little post. But according to Aircell, it's all bollox, or as my mam would say: "It's all me eye."
Aircell says it has been seeing an uptick in small security vendors who are riding the firm's coat tails to secure their own media coverage or sales of their products (if you notice at the end of the post, the blogger recommends their own VPN solution). It notes that in the original Newsblaze "report" the blogger references is a PR pitch from yet another small security vendor hawking its services.
"Basically, these companies are announcing that public Wi-Fi hotspots (e.g., Gogo, Starbucks, hotels, etc.) aren't encrypted - not exactly news," says Aircell.
"To date, we have not identified any network security vulnerabilities in the Gogo In-flight Internet service that are threats to our customers. Credit card transactions to access Gogo are encrypted and fully secure. Other Internet traffic on the Gogo network is as secure as any public Wi-Fi hotspot in a hotel, airport or coffee house. For users who wish a higher level of information security, Gogo supports virtually all VPN clients."
The company, which has been cooking with gas of late, adds: "As you know, Aircell is committed to our customers' safety and security both in the air and online and will do all we can to ensure our customers' information remains secure and private."
So essentially, fair reader, while we all worry about hackers, if you're a Gogo user you need not worry any more than you normally do.
(Photo at http://www.freefoto.com/preview/04-04-54?ffid=04-04-54&k=Computer+Keyboard )
All that nonsense you've heard about in-flight mobile phone usage turning into a big old nuisance has NOT come to pass.
Key quote from Ryanair chief Michael O'Leary:
"We've thus far had no complaints of any passengers who are annoyed by their cathedral-like sanctity of a Ryanair flight being besmirched by somebody on a mobile call."
But sure haven't I been telling you this all along? Here is O'Leary on the subject.
With Saturday's hot Kentucky Derby action still fresh in our minds, some industry talking heads are ready to place bets on what new in-flight service will ultimately be chosen by AirTran Airways through its EveryFlight campaign.
Take IAG's Addison Schonland, who is willing to put money on AirTran getting in-flight Wi-Fi after chatting with the carrier's VP of PR Christopher White. Indeed, Wi-Fi seems to have vastly more favourable odds than Mine That Bird did at the Derby (since several US legacy and low-cost carriers are already progressing with equipage). Then again, we're always open to surprises. AirTran will reveal its decision on 12 May.
Listen for yourself at:
http://iagblog.podOmatic.com/entry/2009-05-04T09_29_08-07_00
Meanwhile, if you need a reason to waste some time, check out AirTran stooges in action.
Scandinavian budget carrier Norwegian Air Shuttle's decision to start equipping its entire Boeing 737-800 fleet with Row 44's satellite-based in-flight connectivity in the fourth quarter gives the California-based service provider its first non-US customer and a nice boost in a downmarket. But back here in the states, Row 44's most prominent client, Southwest Airlines, has yet to expand its four-aircraft trial of the system.
Southwest senior manager of technologies and flight operations Doug Murri said last month at the MRO show in Dallas that no firm date exists for the placement of Row 44 on a fifth aircraft. A firm date is expected to be decided within the next couple of months.
Once that decision is taken, Murri says the carrier will have an aggressive schedule for equipping its fleet, which according to Flight's ACAS database currently stands at 538 Boeing 737 classics and next generation aircraft. He estimates Southwest would aim to complete fleet-wide installations in one to two years.
But check this out - Southwest has been using several methods for gleaning customer feedback, including having some marketing folks collect feedback from passengers during the actual Wi-Fi flights. The most negative response Southwest is getting? Well, I wouldn't call this negative per say, but customers are asking Southwest not to charge for the service.
Don't hold your breath, in-flight Wi-Fi lovers. Southwest is studying several revenue options for its connectivity offering including pay-as-you go, subscription models and offering the service at the time of ticket purchase.
Other fun facts from Murri:
Southwest has got installation of the 170lb 77kg) system down to under four days on the four prototype aircraft.
The carrier expects to find additional efficiencies in the process to reduce the install significantly as it equips more aircraft.
Southwest is still working through its pricing model for in-flight connectivity, but expects to be the price leader in that area.
Southwest saw limitations in air-to-ground (ATG)-based connectivity, the likes of which is provided by Aircell.
Unlike Aircell, which has more control over price, allows Southwest to control the pricing and marketing.
More than 25,000 Southwest passengers have used the carrier's in-flight connectivity offering on more than 1,500 flights. The bulk of those users are accessing email.
The system has exceeded Southwest's expectations, particularly in the area of streaming video.
We know that Row 44 still requires a crucial permanent green-light from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). But both parties have made known they are rather certain that authority will come.
Well I guess these slides from ViaSat's presentation at the WAEA meeting in Kuala Lumpur say it all.
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