December 2010 Archives

It's that time of the year again, when we celebrate the achievements of the in-flight entertainment and connectivity (IFEC) industry over the last 12 months.

Just as in 2008 and 2009, I've compiled my "top five most important IFEC moments" for 2010. Drum roll please....



1)    Lufthansa re-launches in-flight high-speed Internet on overseas flights. The significance of this event really cannot be underscored enough. Following the late 2006 demise of Connexion by Boeing, Lufthansa was left up a creek without a paddle (i.e. it had already fitted a sizable portion of its fleet with Ku-band connectivity - including big MELCO antennas - and suddenly had no service provider.) Enter Panasonic Avionics, which vowed to fill the void left by Connexion. It took four long years, but Lufthansa and Panasonic finally made the magic happen on 30 November with the re-launch of Lufthansa's FlyNet-branded service. In so doing, Lufthansa has once again set the standard for airborne connectivity on international flights. There is little doubt that other carriers will be compelled to follow suit, most especially in the near-term by airlines that compete directly with Lufthansa on transatlantic routes, where FlyNet is being initially deployed. However, with 69 aircraft already fitted with Connexion equipment, Lufthansa has a massive head start over the competition. The carrier says it will offer FlyNet across its entire long-haul fleet by the end of 2011.



2)    Inmarsat announces plan to develop a global network of Ka-band satellites for its new I-5 constellation. Long the leader in the L-band space, Inmarsat spent the last several years telling the industry that it didn't need big bandwidth, and that most airline passengers would be satisfied with basic connectivity applications (a bit of email, a bit of social media). But the London-headquartered company changed its tune in August, when it laid out an initiative to offer an ultra-fast Ka-band mobile broadband service called Global Xpress from 2014 (I call this an about-face, ahem, but Inmarsat says Global Xpress allows it to support its customers in the future "when their needs grow"). Inmarsat's leap into the world of Ka is prompting some airlines to consider forgoing equipping their aircraft with Ku-band connectivity (such as that which is being deployed by Lufthansa) and wait for the blazing speeds of up to 50MB/s promised by Ka. Inmarsat's decision also allowed Panasonic rival Thales to define a path for airlines that includes L-band-based connectivity services now and Ka-band services in the future (a pretty good sales pitch to have). Will any Panasonic Ku customers do a u-turn and opt to wait for Ka? It's possible (and you can be sure many a Ka-band presentation is being given to airlines) but Panasonic isn't resting on its laurels, and has already started developing a hybrid Ka/Ku antenna solution.



3)    Integrated IFE/seats make a big splash (and change the industry forever). Last year Panasonic unveiled the first-ever truly integrated IFE/seat under partnership with Weber Aircraft and product development firm Teague, and promised that the design would prove revolutionary. Panasonic was right. The company's Integrated Smart Monitor (formerly known as Fusion) has paved the way for a seismic shift in how IFE vendors and aircraft seat makers do business, with all parties working together on a standard solution for the cabin before an airline even places its aircraft order. To wit, Panasonic can now count Delta Air Lines among its growing list of customers for Fusion. An integration project between Panasonic and B/E has also attracted the attention of United Airlines, which wants Boeing to make the seats linefit offerable for the Boeing 787s that are slated to be delivered to the carrier next year. Thales, meanwhile, has won big business from Qatar Airways for its IFE/seat integration project with B/E Aerospace, while IFE newcomer Lumexis collaborated with Recaro for integrated IFE/seats for FlyDubai (the product is now flying...see number 4).



 

4)    Lumexis' in-flight entertainment system enters revenue service on FlyDubai Boeing 737. For years the IFE industry has been dominated by two players - Panasonic and Thales. But Lumexis is setting about to change all that with its new, super lightweight fiber-optics-based IFE, which has been integrated into Recaro slim seats (see number 3). While the fiber-to-the-screen (FTTS) system has not yet received linefit offerable status from Airbus or Boeing, it is headed in that direction. Boeing Commercial Airplanes' Kent Craver, who serves as regional director of passenger satisfaction and revenue, recently told my colleague Jon Ostrower: "A who lot of things go into that, but we'll be taking a look [at Lumexis]." Airbus is also understood to be studying Lumexis' FTTS for linefit, as well as another IFE offering from Sicma, a division of aircraft seat behemoth Zodiac.



5)    JetBlue Airways strikes deal with ViaSat to bring Ka-band-based airborne Internet to its entire fleet. If there was any doubt about where in-flight connectivity is ultimately heading after Inmarsat's August revelation, JetBlue's announcement one month later put it to rest. A largely domestic operator, JetBlue doesn't need to wait until 2014 for a global Ka service. Instead, the carrier plans to take advantage of ViaSat's current first-generation WildBlue-1 satellite as well as a new high-capacity ViaSat-1 satellite that is slated to be launched into orbit in the spring of next year. The first installations are expected to occur in 2012, pending a definitive agreement (which was supposed to be signed before the end of this calendar year - where do things stand lads?) The JetBlue/ViaSat arrangement doesn't just highlight the importance of Ka. It also gives JetBlue subsidiary LiveTV an avenue to break into the commercial airline connectivity world, after its own Kiteline basic email/messaging service for airlines failed to take flight.

Honourable mentions:

• IMS scored a launch customer, SriLankan, for its RAVE seat-centric IFE, giving Panasonic and Thales even more to think about in 2011.

• Oman Air became the first airline in the world to offer passengers both in-flight mobile and Internet, after switching on Airbus/SITA joint venture OnAir's connectivity solutions on an Airbus A330-300.

• Thales and Panasonic revealed plans for basing their next generation IFE systems on Android, with Thales already selling an Android-based handset to airlines!

• Aircell, whose Gogo air-to-ground (ATG)-based service has attracted the lion's share of domestic in-flight Wi-Fi business, says it's a hair's breath away from defining a connectivity solution for overseas, offshore flights (I'm sure its legacy airline customers will be thrilled.)

• Last, but certainly not least, the organization formerly known as the World Airline Entertainment Association (WAEA) rebranded as the infinitely more exciting/open-minded/interesting Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX) and finally started boasting about the rather significant role it plays in forming the passenger experience.

So, what do you think? Have I missed any biggies?

One thing is clear (especially if you look back to the 2008 and 2009 "top fives") - this industry is getting VERY exciting, and 2011 is sure to be even more so. I LOVE IT!

Thanks for reading! Happy holidays!

"[There is] nothing a plastic bag and an #iPhone can't fix when stuck in a plane for 10 hrs and the IFE isn't working," says @Eliaskerk, who just posted this pic on Twitter after discovering it on Reddit. Well, ain't it the truth? Hope there is in-seat power. Happy Wednesday people!

Always on the cutting edge of technology and social media Lufthansa has launched an innovative new service called CloudStream, which allows travelers to create a digital carry-on of web content in advance of their trip (or during their trip if in-flight Wi-Fi is available).

Check out the video below, and then head on over to CloudStream before your next flight. You might recognize one of the featured carry-ons (yours truly, yay!) I wonder how Lufthansa might exploit CloudStream together with its MySkyStatus social network service and its FlyNet in-flight high-speed Internet service. The possibilities are endless!

Panasonic Avionics' application for US FCC authority to operate an aeronautical mobile satellite service earth station network in the Ku-band has made in-flight connectivity rival Row 44 rather hot under the collar.

In what will surely give the industry a case of déjà vu (remember ViaSat's long-running objection to Row 44's application?), Row 44 is now calling into question darn near everything about Panasonic's application (skew data, pointing accuracy, and interference are among the familiar concerns addressed).

Row 44 also gets shirty about Panasonic's effort to recycle now-defunct Connexion by Boeing's application for the MELCO antenna (which is fitted to 69 aircraft operated by former Connexion customer Lufthansa).

Panasonic "simply refers generally to the almost 75-page Boeing modification application as if the entirety of that filing was germane to its own proposal", bemoans Row 44 in a 1 December filing to the FCC.

Most interesting to this gal, however, is Row 44's assertion that the MELCO antennas being reignited by Lufthansa and Panasonic may be too old and scruffy.

Key pars:

International Telecommunication Union ("ITU") requirements mandate that the aging of antenna equipment be taken into consideration. The MELCO antennas originally mounted on Lufthansa aircraft have been non-operational since the termination of Boeing's Connexion service four years ago, at the end of 2006. It appears that only a small number of these antennas have been reactivated by Panasonic Avionics under its experimental license. Given the passage of time, absent field testing and measurement, it cannot be certain that any of these antennas, and specifically all those being reactivated for use, are still able to operate within their original specifications.

Aging and/or corrosion of bearings, gears, aperture, and/or hollow conductors is very likely to occur during a time period of four years for an operating aircraft. If any of these antenna components has changed its properties there is a potential that key characteristics of the antenna systems are affected. Accordingly, even more so than in the case of newly-installed equipment, the current application requires the submission of antenna patterns that demonstrate actual antenna performance.

Nearly a month ago, under its partnership with Panasonic, Lufthansa re-launched in-flight high-speed Internet - dubbed FlyNet - on a MELCO-equipped Airbus A330. I gotta say that FlyNet worked flawlessly for me (although in-seat power on the aircraft was severely lacking...more on that later).

Importantly, however, I didn't witness any impact to the service when we switched satellites, and I managed to be the first - and apparently the only - journa-blogger to upload video during the flight (a feat accomplished while most other FlyNet users were busy eating din din...yahoo!). That said, I do wonder just how many MELCO antennas can be recycled, as I understand that some of them have their quirks. The antennas that don't make the cut will be replaced with far newer models from EMS.

Ku-band battles at the FCC have become a time-honored tradition in the world of in-flight entertainment and connectivity. But I still think they're worth keeping an eye on because juicy bits about the applicant always seems to surface. So I'll be sure to keep you posted as Row 44 and Panasonic take the gloves off. FUN!

In case you missed it, SAS proudly hosted the first in-flight gay wedding and rapped about it. Nice one SAS! I look forward to seeing a US carrier take your lead (we finally repealed DADT so there is hope).

The other day I blogged about a report in AirAsia's in-flight mag that Finnair is offering OnAir in-flight mobile connectivity to passengers.

It turns out that the AirAsia article isn't entirely accurate (the carrier isn't offering connectivity yet). BUT, Finnair has revealed to RWG that it is preparing for a "wireless cabin communication environment" and "mobile unit connectivity for future on long-haul aircraft".

I've asked Finnair if it has selected OnAir as its connectivity provider. I hope the carrier reports back.

At present, Finnair offers in-seat satellite phones at every seat on board its Airbus A330 and A340 aircraft (except one leased ex-Air France A340). SMS messages and e-mails (max 160 characters) can be sent via the touchscreen IFE and answers received back for $2 each, notes Finnair.

Meanwhile, the airline has unveiled a new livery, as part of €10m livery revamp that will include visual changes to the cabin interior, service areas and uniforms (see pics below).

Malaysian low-cost airline AirAsia is vowing to offer OnAir's in-flight mobile connectivity solution across its entire Malaysian Airbus A320 fleet, allowing passengers to use their phones for data and voice.

Just don't be a chatterbox, warns the carrier. In a message about cell phone etiquette, printed in the carrier's latest in-flight magazine, AirAsia says the following:



AirAsia has already equipped five A320s with OnAir's service, and intends to soon "gradually equip" the balance of the fleet. OnAir is a joint venture between SITA and Airbus.

"According to Airbus, the GSM onboard system allows virtually unlimited smart phone or PDA GPRS usage and up to 16 passengers can make voice calls at the same time," says AirAsia in the publication.
 
Interestingly, the carrier says the OnAir system "is certified and already flying" with Finnair, India's Jet Airways, Kingfisher and Portugal's TAP.

Finnair and Jet? Has AirAsia let the cat out of the bag on two as-yet-undisclosed OnAir customers? Both carriers have Airbus aircraft in their fleets (most especially Finnair).

I recently tapped OnAir for its year-end equipage tally. The company says it has 35 customers, of which nine are not announced yet. Out of these 35, 11 airlines are in service, as well as two VIP and one maritime customer.

By year-end, more than 60 aircraft on those 11 airlines will be in service. While OnAir doesn't break down the individual figures, it cops to the following active commercial customers of its mobile connectivity service: British Airways, TAP, Oman Air (plus OnAir Wi-Fi), Qatar Airways, Royal Jordanian, Watanyia Airways, Saudi Arabian Airlines (plus Wi-Fi), Egyptair (plus Wi-Fi), Libyan Airlines, AirAsia, and TAM.

OnAir also says three additional airlines will launch in the next six months - Aeroflot, Emirates (which has taken delivery of its first OnAir Wi-Fi-fitted Airbus A380) and Singapore Airlines. Qatar will also later offer GSM/GPRS plus Wi-Fi on its long-haul aircraft.

OnAir recently celebrated its third anniversary. The company touts the following accomplishments (info care of Airbus):

1) Airbus and OnAir continue to be recognized as the market leaders for satellite-based connectivity systems (65% market share)‬‪

2) More than 20,000 pax per day are exposed to this new possibility of being connected in flight‬‪.

3) More than 250,000 SMS are exchanged monthly‬‪.

4) Not a single air rage case has been reported by any airline for using voice on board‬‪.

5) 3rd party applications are using the benefit of SBB services such as Telemedicine or update of IFE content‬‪.

6) Technical solutions are today available for all types of Airbus A/C in linefit and retrofit, but also on non-Airbus A/C‬‪.

7) OnAir recognised by CNBC as "Europe's 25 most creative companies"

8) Telephony services launched on Hapag Lloyd "EUROPA"  cruise ship (branded OnMarine)‬‪.

‬‪
But let's get back to AirAsia. The carrier has made it easy for passengers to learn whether they're flying on an OnAir-equipped aircraft or not. Check it.

The Mitsubishi MELCO Ku-band antenna fitted to 69 Lufthansa aircraft is considered a majestic masterpiece of engineering.

But the antenna has a few quirks (one of the reasons why Lufthansa missed its late summer deadline for launching FlyNet in-flight high-speed Internet, and later a planned mid-November launch).

Lufthansa showed off the MELCO antenna on 30 November on a special display, just before it re-ignited FlyNet under partnership with Panasonic Avionics.

I touched the sweet antenna above, moved it around a bit, and let me say it was cool as shite.

Lufthansa will reuse the lion's share of MELCO antennas fitted to the 69 aircraft that previously offered Connexion by Boeing's connectivity service (before Boeing pulled the plug in late 2006). But Panasonic Avionics CEO Paul Margis says a new EMS-manufactured antenna (with some Starling parts) - which will be fitted to the rest of Lufthansa's long-haul fleet, and replace some of the MELCO antennas - will provider better efficiency and coverage.

"The new antenna has dual panels, more like a round dish. Those will start to be introduced in newer aircraft and phased in to replace the MELCO antennas," says Margis.

"One thing we've done with Lufthansa Technik is design a way for new antenna to fit onto the structural fittings on the MELCO antenna (the blister :)," says Panasonic vice-president global communications services David Bruner.

"Boeing has adopted this for its new aircraft (i.e. most of Lufthansa's Boeing 747-8s will be linefit with the offering). The first Lufthansa aircraft with an EMS antenna will be coming up shortly," adds Bruner.

But what about Lufthansa's Airbus A380s? The carrier has said it wants these birds to be linefit with Panasonic's in-flight Internet system with EMS antennas, although Bruner specifies that we're likely to see a Service Bulletin for installs long before that.

Indeed, Panasonic still has a bit of work to do in this regard. The firm will have to demonstrate that they meet Airbus interface requirements, ARINC Ku antenna installation standards and complete required systems integration testing.

That sounds costly....

In any case, let's celebrate the MELCO bump, which, alongside Panasonic, is hurling Lufthansa back into the leadership position for in-flight Internet on overseas flights!

(Photo above courtesy of Addison Schonland)

  

FlyDubai is singing the praises of its new Lumexis fiber optics-based in-flight entertainment (IFE) system. But what makes the system, now flying on board a FlyDubai Boeing 737 with Sky Interior, so darn unique?

During the APEX convention, Lumexis CEO Doug Cline gave us the skinny on the so-called fiber-to-the-screen IFE platform, using a clear crystal seat to demonstrate its skinniness. The IFE system is now creating plenty of buzz in the industry.

Holy crap! United Airlines is testing Row 44's in-flight Internet service, making it the first carrier to trial both a satellite-based service (from Row 44) and Aircell's air-to-ground (ATG) service Gogo.

A source tells RWG says United has fitted a Boeing 757 with Row 44 "on a trial basis" and, so far, "it's going pretty well".

"Access is free after taking a survey and as such usage is very good," adds the source.

A total 13 United aircraft are already fitted with Gogo.

Southwest Airlines will be able to conduct a similar experiment soon, as the carrier - which is on track to equip 60 aircraft with Row 44 by year-end - is acquiring Gogo customer AirTran Airways.

But this news about United is, well, very interesting to say the least!

To use its own phraseology, Aircell is able to push out Gogo-equipped aircraft "like boxes of popcorn". By the end of the year, the Chicago-headquartered firm will have retrofitted 1,067 aircraft with the in-flight Internet system, an increase of 372 aircraft over year-end 2009.

Below, you'll find the latest number of aircraft fitted with Gogo at each airline. Note that Frontier Airlines will begin Gogo equipage on its Embraer E-Jets early next year (a little later than previously reported) and Delta intends to extend Gogo to its massive regional jet fleet (as expected).

This is all great news, but it's a shame to see Air Canada's installs stalled at just two aircraft. When will Aircell and the Canadian air-to-ground (ATG) license holder SkySurf get moving on bringing ATG-based in-flight connectivity to Canadian skies??? They said they were close to a deal back in March!

Here is the number of aircraft fitted with Gogo at each North American airline customer by year-end:

o    AirTran Airways: 138
o    Virgin America: 34
o    Air Canada: 2
o    Alaska Airlines: 85
o    American Airlines: 190
o    Delta Air Lines: 554
o    United Airlines: 13
o    US Airways: 51

Civil aircraft operators have long discussed using in-flight connectivity for operational benefits such as real-time electronic flight bag (EFB) applications. Lufthansa, which recently re-launched its FlyNet high-speed Internet service on overseas flights, is about to make real-time EFB a reality, and in turn make life easier for its pilots. Lufthansa captain Andreas Ritter - who heads up the carrier's EFB activities - explains the initiative in the following video:

Delta Air Lines has emerged somewhat victorious in a law suit involving - wait for it - Virgin Atlantic's Upper Class Suite (UCS).

The US major applied for, and received, a summary judgment dismissing a claim by Virgin against Delta for infringement of a patent on the UCS flat-bed seat, which was manufactured by interiors firm Contour.

But in granting the summary judgment in favour of Delta, a UK judge says his decision "does not necessarily deprive Virgin of the possibility of relief against Delta. Virgin may be able to bring a claim against Delta for infringement of one or more of its US patents. It may also, at some point in the future, be in a position to sue Delta for infringement of a European patent (UK) containing seat unit claims."

So what's this all about?

Virgin and Contour have been sparring for years, after the former claimed the latter infringed both the patent and unregistered design rights of the UCS. The action related to a design of seat called Solar Eclipse, which Contour was manufacturing for a number of airlines, including Delta.

On 16 June 2008 (months before a trial of the Contour action was to take place) Virgin filed suit against Delta, alleging that Delta was jointly liable with Contour for Contour's alleged acts of patent and design right infringement.

Similar proceedings were also issued against Air Canada and Jet Airways.

To read the entire history, and the latest judgment, go here. And the next time you're sitting in first class on any of these carriers, know that a mighty battle is being fought about your seat!

(Photo of Virgin's UCS from garybembridge's Flickr photo stream)

Right then. Here is something worth thinking about. A recent survey conducted by Airsavings - a company that specializes in providing ancillary revenue solutions for airlines - has revealed the following about today's travelers:

1) Some 68% of travelers surveyed expressed that having access to WI-FI Internet access was important to them while traveling.

2) When it comes to ancillary service offerings, 71% of those surveyed responded they liked the idea of a travel insurance policy that also included 30 minutes of complimentary Wi-Fi Internet access.

And while the Airsavings chart above shows a preference for pre-flight airport Wi-Fi, that other 46% slice representing hotel or "other hotspot" is nothing to sniff at.

So should Aircell work with airlines to pair Gogo in-flight Wi-Fi access with travel insurance? And what about pairing a desirable service like Gogo with other "high-margin services" in order to maximize the revenue of both?

Again, something to think about. For Airsavings' full report, go here.

IAG's Addison Schonland has posted his interviews of Panasonic Avionics CEO Paul Margis and Lufthansa vice president product management and innovations Christian Körfgen on board the Airbus A330 that served as the platform for Lufthansa to re-launch in-flight high-speed Internet service on Tuesday. Check them out!