• Gogo Biz 4G will provide fast, reliable and proven performance to the business aviation market

Broomfield, CO | October 14, 2015– Gogo Inc. (NASDAQ: GOGO), the leading provider of in-flight connectivity and entertainment solutions to the global aero market, announces a new 4G connectivity solution for the business aviation market.
Available at the beginning of 2017, Gogo Biz 4G represents a significant increase in capability when compared to existing solutions. It will give business aircraft passengers “the speed they need” to power their digital lifestyles in flight – without skipping a beat.
Gogo Biz 4G – Key Capabilities

• Reliable 4G performance
• Streaming video and audio
• E-mail with attachments
• Web browsing
• Voice
• VPN support
• Service coverage in the continental U.S. and portions of Alaska and Canada
• Utilizes advanced air-to-ground technology operating on licensed spectrum
• Loyalty programs with significant trade-in incentives available to current Gogo customers wishing to upgrade to Gogo Biz 4G

John Wade, Gogo Business Aviation’s executive vice president and general manager, said, “We cracked the code on in-flight connectivity many years ago, and we’re excited to continue offering more and more performance to customers. Gogo Biz 4G is a solution business aircraft operators can count on. It leverages Gogo’s proven air-to-ground network and technology that has already flown hundreds of thousands of hours aboard thousands of business and commercial aircraft.”

Created specifically for the business aviation market, Gogo Biz 4G is a specially-designed application of Gogo’s latest air-to-ground technology. The Gogo Biz 4G equipment package will incorporate dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi service and a host of other features – all from a single, lightweight box.

This week we continue to review the Portland Parade of IFEC that we introduced last time to cover some folks we didn’t mention previously. Over the next few weeks we will try to cover all we talked with and give our readers a brief review. If you had not heard, El Al won the Best Achievement in Passenger Experience Award at APEX this year for “Cockpit”, and high Tech innovation hub – a way for the airline to help fund and develop new technology products and services that will contribute eventually to revenues. It works like this: “Today reality in the aviation world challenged El Al to create additional sources of revenue apart from flight tickets – by developing new businesses on the existing platform from the realization that innovation is to the aviation world like breathing is to life.” By finding and supporting new innovations from the world of ideas and making them successful businesses is an interesting idea for airline revenue enhancement. Congratulations to Rinat Cohen and his team! And speaking of APEX, we got a bit confused about all the planned APEX events till we saw their Forthcoming Events display – It might help you as well!

AirFi
AirFi are the ‘portable’ Wi-Fi folks from the Netherlands and we talked with Martjin Moret and Job Heimrikx about their Wi-Fi product and they told us that their “little white server/router box” has been flying since January of this year, have 100 in service and 245 by the end of the year… all in more than 100 airplanes soon. The “portable’ white box streams to 50 passengers for 15 hours with 50 users. We understand is on a B787 delivering second screen entertainment. Also, expect a new version to be shown at AIX that will deliver stronger signals, faster data rates, and serve more people with more movies. We anticipate a new moving map display and customizable points of interest. Martijn told IFExpress that there is no STC involved so the units are usually stored in a bin and they have patents pending on the device.

Rockwell Collins
Rockwell showcased a portfolio of cabin solutions in Portland featuring in-flight entertainment, connectivity and content services – all aimed at demonstrating technologies that will engage, entertain and empower airline passengers. “We’re investing heavily in flexible IFEC solutions and applications that, when coupled with our Ka-band global connectivity offering, bring a very compelling value proposition to airlines,” noted Craig Elliott, Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Air Transport Cabin Solutions for Rockwell Collins. “Airlines will be able to personalize the experience for their passengers, resulting in increased brand loyalty and additional revenue.” We noted Inflight Internet and satcom services using Global Xpress that featured crew connectivity, real-time credit card authorization and wireless IFE, On-Demand seat centric IFE using a cool and intuitive touchscreen seatback interface, Broadcast entertainment, and an Airshow App – very nice. Rockwell Paves On-Demand in-flight entertainment (IFE) system is now offered for the 737 MAX. The seat-centric IFE solution has been added to the 737 MAX catalog. With the PAVES On-demand seat-centric design, each in-seat system is independent, so if one unit has an issue, no other in-seat systems are affected. Additionally, PAVES On-demand is equipped with a quick-release mechanism to quickly remove and replace in-seat displays. Security-wise. Also we note that Rockwell Collins has been selected by Boeing to provide the Avionics Gateway secure server on new 777X airplanes. The Avionics Gateway will feature the newest generation of Rockwell Collins’ Secure Server Router (SSR) that enables the safe transfer of data between the flight-deck, cabin crew and airline operations on the ground. Next-generation aircraft will offer incredible on-board networking capabilities and aircraft makers like Boeing are investing in sophisticated, secure solutions to ensure the networks are protected from malicious threats. Stay Tuned, or should we say, Watch Out! 

KID-SYSTEME
KID rolled out their cabin and cargo surveillance system and you can check out the easy-to-understand presentation here.  The system comprises a myriad of aircraft applications including, Cockpit Door Surveillance, Cabin Video Monitoring and Cargo Surveillance in one common system. It is designed to be aircraft program / manufacturer independent to enable a fleet-wide deployment of a common video surveillance solution for airline customers. Click on the Video Surveillance link in the above website to get an excellent slide presentation of the system. We note that it is capable of monitoring some 20 cameras in the cabin and cargo areas and the system has a modular architecture that adds video recording, watermarking, connectivity and more (link). This system is one of the most flexible and least obtrusive in the cabin. Interestingly, the 5 megapixel cameras only consume 2.8 watts and look more like small access panels. Further, the watermarked live video streams enables video recording as evidence.

Latitude Aero
We had an unscheduled meeting with nice guy, Kelvin Boyette, President and CEO, from Latitude Aero, a newer entrant in the seat refurbishment business. In the Rockwell Collins booth, Latitude had an example of their work. Noted Mr. Boyette: “The overall goal was to provide a proof of concept of turning an older, mid-90’s first class seat into a newer slimline seat with in seat video as opposed to in-arm. The Sicma seats were manufactured in 1996 and modified again in 2001. Other than that they remained untouched until we acquired them in August. In addition, we were also able to introduce their new 12” monitor into the seats as well.” He also noted, “We were able to complete the seats in 22 days, also proving our R&D and conceptual abilities that will allow the IFE/ISPS providers and seat OEMs the ability to use us for their outsourced R&D prototyping. Typical proof of concept seats have taken as long as 7-8 weeks at other facilities to go from design to shipment. I have uploaded quite a few pics from the show onto our Facebook page.”  Check them out as they look very capable.

“Overall for the airline,” noted Kelvin, “getting a ‘new look’ seat with modern amenities and current generation IFE for around half the price of a new seat is quite a deal.” We agree.

---

For AIX followers, for the tenth time now, the Crystal Cabin Award Association is calling for submissions their international prize in aircraft interiors. The search is on for the most innovative ideas and products related to traveling above the clouds. Entries will be accepted at www.crystal-cabin-award.com until 4 November, and the winners will be announced, as always, as part of the Aircraft Interiors Expo (5 – 7 April, 2016) in Hamburg. The talented few who manage to win the hearts and minds of the 24 members of the expert jury will join the elite ranks of an impressive gallery of winners. This year alone saw such big names as B/E Aerospace, ViaSat, Embraer, and Etihad Airways taking home the trophies. And to make the Award even more attractive in its jubilee year, an eighth category has been added: “Cabin Concepts”. Meanwhile, the “Cabin Systems”, “Electronic Systems”, “Passenger Comfort Hardware”, and “Visionary Concepts” categories have been refined to further sharpen the focus in these fields.

---

The folks at BAE Systems just published a bit about their in-seat power system development.

---

CIT Aerospace notes that the top four US airlines account for 83% of US traffic; in Europe, it takes 40 airlines to account for 83% there – just thought you wanted to know.

---

Rumor has it that the new ORBIS Flying Eye Hospital (FEH) had two recent successful flight tests. Check it out here.

---

And lastly, Ron Chapman is back… and he told IFExpress that we “might go Ape” over his new connectivity solution.

Lake Forest, CA | August 5, 2015– Panasonic Avionics has delivered its 800th aircraft equipped with its market leading, global broadband connectivity service, eXConnect. The company expects to deliver its 1,000th connected aircraft by the end of 2015.

The system, which was installed on a B757-200 aircraft, was delivered mid-July to United Airlines. In addition to being the 800th aircraft equipped with eXConnect, the B757-200 was also the 332th connected aircraft that Panasonic has delivered to United.

Paul Margis, President and Chief Executive Officer for Panasonic Avionics said, “We committed to the connected aircraft vision a decade ago and now, it’s a reality. Our goal remains the same – use connectivity to deliver business value to airlines and increase their bottom line, while delighting passengers. The numbers confirm the majority of airlines trust us to do that.”

Since 2008, over 50 percent of all commercial airlines have chosen eXConnect for inflight connectivity. Last year alone, Panasonic increased its backlog to over 2,300 aircraft, and is expected to have over 12,000 connected aircraft connected the global network within the next 10 years.

David Bruner, Vice President, Global Communications Services for Panasonic Avionics added, “The demand for connectivity onboard commercial aircraft has grown exponentially. In the past 90 days alone, we have delivered more than 1.2 terabytes of traffic over our network each day. Today’s passengers today are consuming from 1.3 to 20 gigabytes of data per flight using eXConnect.”

Bruner continued, “We’ve also seen incredible uptake of our global television service, eXTV. Last year, 1.4 million passengers watched the World Cup on Panasonic-equipped aircraft. We saw similar high volume traffic as passengers tuned in to the Woman’s World Cup and Wimbledon. Our eXPhone service, offered in conjunction with Aeromobile, has also seen higher volume usage year over year. Over the last 12 months, we have seen a 40 percent increase in passengers using the service, 41 percent more calls, a 35 percent increase in voice call minutes, almost 40 percent more SMS being sent and a 232 percent increase in data traffic for email, web browsing, and other applications.”

Bruner added, “As more and more passenger and airline applications continue to consume data, our customers can rest assured that Panasonic has the financial stability to create sustainable business models that work. We continue to invest in coverage and capacity that ensures the highest bandwidth for the lowest price per bit.”

This week, entertainment and connectivity news looked like a shotgun blast of scattered stories, and we had a hard time picking a lead story! So instead of picking one to feature as our Hot Topic we thought it might be better, or at least different, to grasp the whole mess laid out by subject area. You choose what to read!

---

Meetings

APEX
The future of technology is up in the air, literally. APEX EXPO is 35,000 feet above all other industry trade shows when it comes to bringing you the latest in inflight technology and connectivity! Join the industry Sept. 28-Oct. 1 in Portland Oregon for the passenger experience industry’s most comprehensive trade show, including a day of world-class speakers and sessions devoted to technological issues and the future of the passenger experience, among other exciting topics!

• Leo Mondale, President, Aviation for Inmarsat, will delve into business models built around “future-proof” technologies that won’t be obsolete in a few years
• Craig Proud, SVP Platform for GuestLogix, will discuss onboard payment technologies – Apple Pay, MasterCard Paypass, Visa PayWave and more – that are seamless and satisfying for passengers
• Jim Costello, Chief Technology Officer for Telefonix, Inc. will cover the challenges and potential solutions for developing IFEC that stays relevant in a rapidly evolving market

IATA
The 138th Slot Conference of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the global trade association for the airline industry, will be held in Hamburg from 21 to 23 June 2016. Following the World Passenger Symposium in 2015, this will be the second event of this renowned umbrella organisation to be hosted in Hamburg – thereby confirming Hamburg’s important role in the international aviation industry. Around 600 experts from the aviation industry are expected to attend the biggest of the IATA events, which will take place at the CCH – Congress Center Hamburg.

---

Aviation

• If you missed the live interview with Alan Pellegrini (USA President and CEO) you can check out his view of IFE trends and solutions from the Thales POV.
• Think there is a link between online price competition and longer flight times?
• A recent explosion in a Zodiac Aerospace factory in Spokane, WA put a number of workers in the hospital.  And for photos check here
• Airplane Orders and Deliveries

---

Airline

• How does $38 Billion sound for 2014 airline extra baggage fee’s?
• United hires hackers
• And, here is how much free travel is in the above deal
• Seating improvements?

---

IFE Specific

Connectivity:

• If you don’t think there is a revolution going on in the inflight connectivity world, think again… here is an Inmarsat view paper overview
• Waiting for inflight information on your headphones inflight?

---

Wi-Fi Specific

Beacons:

• Coming soon to an airport near you: Google joins Apple  and second article on the subject

Wi-Fi Aware:

• Also coming soon to an airport near you

 Satcom:

• Virgin America will debut faster W-Fi soon  and 2 more links (The Verge and Engadget) on the subject!

---

FlightDeck

• BOSE develops new features for A20 Aviation Headsets Among other them; the A20’s can now stream warnings and advisories thru apps via Bluetooth connectivity.

---

Cabin

• Astronics plans “massive” expansion! –
• Inflight air quality anyone?

---

Airframe Manufacturers

Airbus:

• Starting small may be the way to enter this one
• Tom Enders talks about emissions, innovation, and more

Boeing:

• Boeing warns airlines against flying battery shipments. Check this one out if you need more info on the future of shipping rechargeable batteries, at least until ‘adequate safety procedures are developed.’
• Tax Deals anyone?
• More planes?

---

Security

• Looks like Kontron is focusing on secure connectivity inflight
• You are going to hear a lot more about the Hacking Team (company) in the future, but for now, Wi-Fi Hacking Drones are the subject here. Coming your way soon.
• It’s about time!
• And finally, in case you wondering if this last link has anything to do with IFEC —  it does not. Would you like to guess how many recorded Internet security attacks there were yesterday? Eleven? One hundred and eleven? Eleven thousand… how about 11,059,744! Numbers like this really put the scale of potential aviation hack worries into perspective. You can see a threat intelligence map in realtime here.

Editor’s Note: This week’s rectangle has very little to do with IFE – we just wanted you to see the terrific Boeing Paint job!

• 78 per cent of tourists use their phone abroad

United Kingdom | July 14, 2015– A survey by leading inflight connectivity provider, AeroMobile, has revealed that 78 per cent of tourists use their phone abroad.*

The survey, carried out by OnePoll, shows SMS to be the most popular phone service used at home and abroad. Of the respondents, 41 per cent used SMS on a daily basis at home, and 26 per cent while on holiday.
Accessing social media is also popular with almost one in three (29 per cent) active users at home, compared to almost one in five (17 per cent) tweeting, Facebooking or Instagramming whilst away. It’s a similar story with instant messaging with almost one in three (28 per cent) using it on a daily basis at home, compared with 21 per cent while abroad.

Almost one in five (17 per cent) people use their phone to send work emails while at home; more than half of these (10 per cent) continue to do so abroad. Similarly, 19 per cent of travellers use their mobiles to surf the web abroad, compared to 35 per cent at home.

Voice is the only service that falls drastically with 36 per cent of respondents making calls on a daily basis at home, compared to just 16 per cent when travelling. The use of voice is noticeably replaced by instant messenger when travellers are abroad.

The results show people want to be connected wherever they are, at all times. This is also true inflight – AeroMobile figures show a 50 per cent uplift in the number of passengers using their inflight network in Q1 2015, when compared to the same period in 2014.**

“It’s interesting to see how connected holidaymakers are and these statistics reflect what we’re seeing in the air. People still want to use their phones to keep in touch with what’s going on at home, even at 30,000ft. Inflight connectivity is used for all sorts, from a quick WhatsApp message to sending important work emails or listening to voicemail”, said Kevin Rogers, CEO of AeroMobile.

AeroMobile provides technology that allows the safe use of passengers’ own mobile phones onboard aircraft. The service is available on airlines including Emirates, Etihad, Aer Lingus, Singapore Airlines, Lufthansa and Virgin Atlantic. The company has roaming agreements with more than 310 network operators across 140 countries worldwide.

The service is simple to use; passengers simply turn on their mobile device to connect to the network and are billed directly by their mobile operator at international roaming rates.

Notes to editors
*Survey commissioned by AeroMobile and undertaken by OnePoll between 25 March 2015 and 07 April 2015. The survey questioned 4,250 adults in the UK, Germany and UAE. All figures quoted refer to the number of people using the service at least once per day.
Please see below for data referred to:

Service	Percentage of people who use this at least once a day at home	Percentage of people who use this at least once a day abroad
Text (SMS)	41	26
Instant Message	28	21
Call	36	16
Check voicemail	17	9
Send work emails	17	10
Send personal emails	23	13
Surf the internet	35	19
Update / check social media sites	29	17
Play games	20	12
Shopping	12	5
Stream video/TV	14	7
Stream music	13	7

** AeroMobile data, June 2015

Itasca, Ill. | June 1, 2015– Gogo (NASDAQ:GOGO), a leading global aero communications service provider, announced today that it has been named 12th on this year’s Crain’s Chicago Business Fast Fifty list, which is a compilation of the fastest growing companies in Chicago. Gogo moved up seven spots from last year’s ranking.

Gogo was recognized by Crain’s after delivering a five year revenue growth of 1009 percent.

“This recognition comes at a very pivotal point for Gogo, as we move our corporate headquarters to Chicago’s west loop,” said Michael Small, Gogo’s President and CEO. “Gogo’s rapid growth has put us at the epicenter of Chicago’s technology hub and we look forward to increasing our contributions to Chicago’s technology scene as well as continuous growth as a company.”

You can view the full list of companies that made Crain’s Fast Fifty List here.

• ViaSat Yonder High-Speed Internet Service Enables the Fastest, Global, Satellite-Based Business Jet Cabin Connectivity Available Today

Geneva | May 19, 2015– ViaSat Inc. (NASDAQ: VSAT), an innovator in broadband and communication technologies and services, today announced it has been selected by Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation as the sole source Ku-band equipment supplier to outfit Gulfstream’s large cabin business jets with ViaSat Yonder® high-speed internet service. The ViaSat equipment is available on Gulfstream’s existing large cabin aircraft (G450, G550, G650) and new aircraft (G500, G600) either as a factory option, or as an aftermarket install.

The new agreement builds on a previous third-party relationship, where ViaSat has provided global Ku-band in-flight connectivity hardware to Gulfstream and hundreds of its customers for nearly 10 years. With today’s announcement, ViaSat will now directly provide the ViaSat Mobile Terminal 1500, which includes a Ku-band antenna, modem and antenna control unit, to enable the Yonder service on an extended line of Gulfstream large cabin aircraft. Service remains available through ViaSat’s service providers.

“Gulfstream is recognized as providing an exceptional in-flight passenger experience, which includes ensuring best-in-class internet service provided by ViaSat,” said Ken Peterman, senior vice president and general manager, ViaSat. “We have the ability today to offer the fastest business jet in-cabin internet service with Yonder, and the foresight to meet tomorrow’s bandwidth demand with our Exede In The Air service to ensure Gulfstream business jet passengers can stay connected no matter where they fly.”

ViaSat Yonder business aviation service delivers an unmatched internet experience through its global Ku-band network, plus a path toward an enhanced online in-flight experience with its Exede® In The Air service. Already available to commercial passengers, the Exede In The Air service leverages ViaSat’s leadership in high-capacity Ka-band satellite technology and will ensure business aviation passengers receive a ‘best available network’ service when roaming across ViaSat’s Ka- and Ku-band satellite network. For more information on ViaSat’s high-speed internet service for business aviation, visit: www.ViaSat.com/general-aviation.

Waukegan, ILL. | April 9, 2015– Telefonix, Inc.®, an AS9100 and ISO 14000-certified technology design and manufacturing company, will unveil the full extent of its Summit line of in-flight entertainment and connectivity (IFEC) equipment at the 2015 Aircraft Interiors Expo, April 14-16, 2015 at the Hamburg Messe in Germany.

The Telefonix Summit line is comprised of state-of-the-art system components designed to enable unique and innovative in-flight connectivity and entertainment solutions. The Summit hardware elements: Cabin ACe(TM) Wireless Access Point (WAP), Cabin Pinnacle(TM) general purpose airborne server, Cabin Peak(TM) pico cell, and Cabin Vista(TM) attendant display can be added to enhance existing in-flight entertainment systems or combined to create a unique IFEC solution.

“There are a number of building blocks required for any IFEC solution in the aerospace market. The Telefonix Summit product line can reduce time-to-market and overall cost for system developers, integrators and airline operator alike,” said Jim Costello, Chief Technology Officer at Telefonix, Inc.

The Summit product line is the latest innovative solution developed for in-flight entertainment connectivity market that has been brought to fruition under the Telefonix and Product Development Technologies (PDT) partnership. Since joining forces, the companies have worked with customers to create passenger control units, media loading devices, and more.

Hamburg, Germany | April 14, 2015– Panasonic Avionics Corporation (Panasonic) has reached a major milestone with the 700th aircraft installation of its eXConnect inflight Wi-Fi system.

Panasonic Avionics President and Chief Executive Officer, Paul Margis, said, “We believe that every aircraft should be connected, regardless of its mission. What was once viewed as a passenger amenity has quickly become a business imperative for our customers.”

Margis continued, “The connectivity discussion with our customers has moved beyond the size of the pipe. What matters most for our customers is how they can use connectivity to improve their business. Only Panasonic provides an ecosystem that uses connectivity for a wide array of services benefitting both the passenger and the airlines’ bottom line.”

No other provider has the ability to integrate state-of-the-art in-seat entertainment with broadband Wi-Fi, live television and 3G mobile phone services. Panasonic’s uniquely global Ku-band satellite network lets passengers surf the web at broadband speeds, send and receive email, watch live television and use 3G connectivity to make and receive phone calls, send and read SMS text messages or email, and browse online using mobility services from AeroMobile.

A connected inflight entertainment (IFE) system lets airlines offer passenger concierge services from its cabin crew and ground staff, and tailor on-board advertising with specific content aimed at individual passengers. With connectivity, real-time credit card validations help prevent fraud and let airlines offer higher value items through passenger devices and the seatback system. Live monitoring of the IFE systems and passenger behavior such as content usage statistics allow the airline to adjust their product strategy and serve their passengers better.

Connectivity is also transforming the way airlines can do business with real-time aircraft tracking around the globe, electronic flight bag services for cockpit operations and a real-time interface for flight and cabin crew with airline ground operations. A connected aircraft also enables proactive maintenance by continually streaming operational data including engine data to the ground, enabling quick analysis and the provision of fixes and solutions where necessary, and the quick mobilization of ground maintenance to ensure minimal operational disruption.

After solving birdstrike, Panasonic installed 250 aircraft with eXConnect in 2014. Over 300 are planned for installation this year to achieve the 1,000th aircraft in 1Q 2016. In total, 56 airlines, seven of which have committed in the last 8 weeks have committed over 2,200 aircraft with Panasonic’s eXConnect system.

The company will introduce massive capacity increases coming later this year, including 200mbps over CONUS (Continental U.S.), the Atlantic Ocean and into Europe with HTS (High Throughput Satellite), providing increased bandwidth. With future updates planned over Europe and Asia, HTS will cover all of the world’s high traffic areas by Q4 2017.

In addition Panasonic, the leading provider of inflight connectivity systems globally, has received 210 regulatory approvals including connected flights over China.

• We want inflight Wi-Fi and we want it for free

Aircraft Interiors Expo, Hamburg | April 14, 2015– Over 20 airlines around the world are providing free inflight Wi-Fi today and, according to the latest industry estimation from SITA OnAir, more than double will do it by 2020.

“Take-up rate increases by up to ten times when airlines provide free inflight Wi-Fi. Passengers want inflight connectivity but very few expect to pay for it,” said François Rodriguez, Chief Strategy and Marketing Officer of SITA OnAir. “We are becoming digital omnivores and depending on the context, we want to connect our phones, tablets and laptops all the time. SITA OnAir is helping airlines keep up with this growing trend by providing the industry with the business model that meets the airline’s commercial strategy and brand positioning.”

SITA’s passenger research shows nearly every passenger has the potential to be connected:

• 97% have a personal electronic device of some form
• 81% carry a smartphone
• 43% bring a tablet
• 43% fly with a laptop
• 18% have a phone, a tablet and a laptop

“People are addicted to being connected,” continued Rodriguez. “A study* in the US showed that 60% of people cannot go without Wi-Fi for more than a day. 39% would sacrifice coffee and would give up 43% chocolate in return for Wi-Fi access. Airlines need to think hard about inflight amenities. Newspapers and peanuts are traditionally used to keep passengers happy. But things have changed and the new generation of passengers clearly prefers to access social media instead.”

Different business models have been adopted to meet this demand:

Emirates provides free Wi-Fi for all its passengers, in every class, as a standard cabin service. Read Full Story

SAUDIA provides complimentary Internet to its premium passengers, through a dedicated phone and tablet app. Read Full Story

Singapore Airlines also provides free Wi-Fi for its premium passengers, sponsored by an external company. In this case it is Citibank, which has covered the implementation costs of the promotion.

Philippine Airlines provides free Wi-Fi to celebrate specific events throughout the year, such as the opening of a new route or calendar events like Christmas, with a dedicated promotion. Read Full Story

Primarily, people want to stay in touch during their entire journey. Looking at analysis of the traffic on SITA OnAir’s networks, once inflight, over half of the most used apps are for messaging, email or voice over IP. The most widespread ones are WhatsApp, iMessage, Snapshot, Gmail and FaceTime.

The next biggest group of apps is social media, which is also arguably about communication. Facebook, Twitter and Instagram come top. Search engines – Google and Yahoo – are also popular, as are YouTube, Spotify, Google Map and Apple Map.

“Inflight connectivity is now a must for the entire fleets,” continued Rodriguez. “Airlines are also recognising that it can provide significant operational benefits. The resulting savings and improvement in the passenger experience will give every airline the opportunity to also embrace the airline digital transformation. ”

Current operational uses of connectivity include crew tablets, which can provide real-time payment for duty free, live baggage tracking, value-added services at the destination, information about connecting flights and re-booking in the case of delays. The Wi-Fi network can be used to connect the cabin crew and passengers for inflight services, such as food and drink requests. Pilots also use connectivity, for example connected Electronic Flight Bags, to receive up to date weather maps, so they can avoid turbulence, making flights more comfortable for passengers, as well as reducing fuel burn.

“This is the start of the connected aircraft,” concluded Rodriguez. “Airlines are using the aircraft connectivity for more applications to help the cabin and cockpit crew. The deployment of operational applications, including maintenance reporting and aircraft health monitoring is also already happening.”

SITA OnAir is already a leading provider in the connected aircraft market with nearly 400 airline customers operating over 14,000 aircraft. Of those, 22 provide SITA OnAir’s Wi-Fi and mobile phone products, making SITA OnAir one of the industry most dominant inflight connectivity players.

ITASCA, IL | April 13, 2015– Gogo Inc. (NASDAQ: GOGO), a leading global aero communications service provider and the world leader in wireless in-flight entertainment, recently conducted a global study on traveler interest in in-flight connectivity and connectivity related products and services. The study revealed that interest in these products and services is significantly higher outside the U.S. despite the fact that fewer connected aircraft are operating internationally as compared to within the U.S.

In addition to showing more interest in connecting in flight, air travelers outside the U.S. are more likely to carry their own Wi-Fi-enabled devices on a plane and are more willing to pay for the services when compared to travelers in the U.S.

When asked about their interest in in-flight connectivity services, 83 percent of air travelers in regions outside the U.S. said they were interested in using Wi-Fi vs. just 74 percent of U.S. air travelers. When it comes to wireless in-flight entertainment, 71 percent of air travelers outside the U.S. show a strong interest vs. 59 percent in the U.S.

“The number of global passengers topped 3 billion in 2013 and has grown by 37 percent in the last four years. Ubiquitous connectivity has become the norm around the globe and there are very few passengers these days boarding an aircraft without a Wi-Fi-enabled device,” said Ash ElDifrawi, Gogo’s chief commercial officer. “What’s surprising to us is that the demand and willingness to pay for these services is clearly higher outside the U.S. We have found that air travelers outside of the U.S. index higher on affluence relative to the general population in their markets.”

Other interesting findings from the study include: passengers outside the U.S. are 23 percent more likely to pay for in-flight Wi-Fi when compared to passengers in the U.S.; compared to the other regions included in the study, the U.S. had the lowest percentage of passengers boarding with a Wi-Fi-enabled device at 76 percent, and 1 in 3 passengers say they typically use at least 2 electronic devices on a plane.

The importance of Wi-Fi in choosing an airline continues to grow for passengers around the world. Today, more than 20 percent of passengers say they are looking for Wi-Fi when choosing an airline, which is up from 16 percent in a Gogo study conducted last year.

This data was compiled from Gogo’s global traveler research study and represents participants across sixteen countries and four regions. All participants had taken a round-trip flight in the past twelve months.

Dallas, TX | April 8, 2015– [AEA International Convention & Trade Show] – Gogo Inc. (NASDAQ: GOGO), a leading provider of in-flight connectivity and entertainment solutions to the global aero market, announces a series of additional data plans now available to business aircraft operators.

An important and rapidly-growing part of Gogo Business Aviation’s business is providing monthly voice and data airtime for Gogo Biz, SwiftBroadband and Iridium customers. The company offers a full range of easy-to-understand plans along with a suite of tools and support services that help customers monitor and manage their monthly usage.

John Wade, Gogo Business Aviation’s executive vice president & general manager, said, “As the popularity of in-flight connectivity continues to increase, choosing the right monthly plan is more important than ever. By making three additional plans available, we’re giving business aircraft operators more options and greater flexibility. Benefits include the predictability of an unlimited data plan and the opportunity to save thousands of dollars every month simply by bundling their in-flight connectivity services with Gogo Business Aviation – as well as the ability to consolidate their billing into a single monthly invoice.”

Overview of New Data Plans, Now Available from Gogo Business Aviation

Multi-Network Data Bundle

• Get Gogo Biz & SwiftBroadband data from Gogo and get a 20% discount on both services every month.
• Choose from any available data plan for each network service.

Gogo Biz Unlimited Data Plan

• For the most predictable and worry-free connectivity experience
• $3,995/month – includes unlimited data.

Gogo Biz 1000 Data Plan

• An additional plan option for lighter users
• $1,895/month – includes 1 GB of data and $3.95 per additional MB.

Multi-aircraft discounts are also available for the company’s Gogo Biz and SwiftBroadband data plans.

While preparing for our yearly sojourn to AIX in Hamburg, we began to think of what would be needed on the trip in the way of new apps for our portable devices that would be relevant and make the experience a bit easier. Let’s see, an app at the airports(s), an app or two in the plane for communication and possibly sleeping or game-play diversion and of course an app about Hamburg. We won’t go into the options here but this got us thinking as good little App Pupils: How big is this app ‘thing’ and why on earth are we thinking about device apps when an exciting trip is in the offing?

Rule Number One: If an app will get you through an airport and on or off an aircraft quicker or easier, it is probably a good idea. Further, and in general, if apps make the flight experience better we will try them. That may seem strange because we spend so much money and time on flying, but the flying experience is not really enjoyable anymore… at least not in economy! Perhaps we are willing to download and use device apps that have the potential to improve it… or at least, provide a diversion that keeps us from thinking about the “experience” while we are enduring it. At this juncture, we can’t help but think about dentistry’s Novocaine, but we digress. One can only guess that if the experience were better we would want it to last longer and would not look for apps to mask or improve the event.

Which brings us to the demand and usage of mobile connectivity. We read recently that “13 million passengers used Mobile OnAir last year – 65% used if for mobile data, which includes email, social media updates and surfing the Internet, 31% used it for text messaging, and 21% used it for phone calls, which includes listening to voicemail,“ we were told by a SITA/ONAir spokesperson, Charlie Pryor. He went on, “Basically, think of how people use their phones normally; with smartphones, the calling element is just another app. And people use their phones in the same way on a plane as they do on the ground.” Next, Mr. Pryor went on; “There are two OnAir products that provide passenger communication. Mobile OnAir is a mobile phone network. It works in exactly the same way as international roaming: you turn on your phone and start using it. The cost is included in your regular bill, as with roaming. So no, you don’t need any specific subscription – provided of course you have roaming enabled. You can use your phone for whatever you want – emails, social media, text messages, calls, reading the newspaper: the list is endless. Internet OnAir is Wi-Fi and to use that, you need to sign-up and pay with your credit card, just like any hotspot. Mostly: there is a growing trend for airlines to provide it free of charge. Again, you can use it for whatever you normally do on the Internet.”

Obviously, apps are well used and to prove a point, airline connectivity apps, developed in this case with SITA, are a big deal, and getting bigger. The company noted; “SITA OnAir is celebrating another successful year with 13 million people taking advantage of Mobile OnAir in 2014. The inflight mobile phone service, Mobile OnAir is now flying on 15 airlines worldwide. Over the year, 37% of passengers flying OnAir-equipped aircraft connected to the inflight network.” They went on; “The demand for mobile connectivity has never been higher, with 80% of passengers carrying smartphones. In 2014, mobile data was the most popular service, used by 65% of the passengers who connected to OnAir’s onboard mobile network; mobile data includes email, social media updates and surfing the Internet. Text messaging accounted for 31% of usage and phone calls made up 21%. Many passengers use Mobile OnAir for all three activities, as people do on the ground. Over the coming years, mobile data usage will continue to grow, driven by smartphone penetration. Voice also remains an important service, especially for business passengers.”

The issue of flight connectivity brings us to one point we noticed while reading about apps and their use on personal devices – flying is becoming a “personal experience,” at least in the world of airline and airports – here is one document passage, again developed by the folks at SITA: “The ‘connected passenger’ has become a reality, with 97% of airline passengers carrying at least one personal electronic device. But global usage rates indicate passengers have been slow to adopt new airline and airport mobile services when traveling. Deeper analysis however, shows that some industry players are bucking the trend and achieving high levels of usage. This is according to The Future is Personal, the latest industry report from SITA, the leading global IT provider to the air transport industry. It combines SITA’s global research with commentary and cases studies from airports and airlines that have focused particularly on using mobile services to improve the passenger experience to great success. SITA’s industry insights are based on in-depth research directly with more than 6,000 passengers; carried out at 106 airports across the world that handled 2.35 billion passengers last year and with airlines that together carried more than half the world’s passenger traffic. The research shows airlines have made significant investments in mobile services over the past four years as smartphone adoption surged and the majority now enable passengers to buy tickets, check-in and access flight information via smartphone apps. Meanwhile half of the worlds’ airports also provide flight information via apps.”

Yes, apps are useful, but are they being used? SITA says; “Still global roll-out and adoption is proving to be slower and more complex than was anticipated. Half of passengers are keen to use their mobiles to find their way around the airport, access lounges or the aircraft, provide identification at checkpoints, or make payments. The reality is though, that despite these and other services, including mobile check-in and boarding passes provided by airlines, 24% of passengers have not yet used travel apps at all on their journey.”

With the greater use of apps, we wondered a bit more about who develops them. In our discussions, Mr. Pryor noted: “Apps are typically developed by airlines and airports; SITA provides developers with access to the relevant API data, through www.developer.aero.” He noted further that he had some interesting data on an airport app from Cork airport (Ireland) that we wanted to know a bit more about so he connected IFExpress with Kevin Cullinane and he answered the following airport app questions about which he had some interesting data on Cork Airport, Ireland:


Q. How many downloads of the Cork airport app to-date – Android… iOS?
A. There have been close to 10,000 downloads since its launch and the Cork Airport App currently has a 4* rating in the Google play store. It is also rated in iOS – the App is up to 29th place in the free iOS Apps in the Travel category in the Irish iTunes market. Nearly half the users are using iPhones to access the site.

Q. Why do passengers use it?
A. It is the essential guide to the full range of services at the Airport. It includes features such as live arrivals and departures information, car park booking, integrated maps and details of all of the retail and catering outlets within the terminal. The app also includes links to airport shopping services with all the latest offers from The Loop. It provides current weather details at Cork Airport, as well as live weather reports for all destinations. Cork Airport has also added bus and coach departure timetables to the App. The update makes it even easier for passengers to plan their journey to and from the airport.

Q. The App is called?
A. CORK Airport (Official) available to download for free on both iTunes and Google Play

Q. Why should travelers download the app?
A. The free Cork Airport app is the essential guide to the full range of services available at the airport. In addition to the new flight-tracking feature launched in January, the app features live bus and coach departure times, live arrivals and departures information, car park booking, integrated maps and details of all of the retail and catering outlets within the terminal. The app also includes links to airport shopping services with all the latest offers from The Loop. It provides current weather details at Cork Airport, as well as live weather reports for all destinations.

Finally we note, this business about apps and inflight connectivity got us thinking: Who is in the game? Noting that in the US, the government prohibits voice calls, we found an interesting study done at Stanford focusing on Gogo but talking about the worldwide competition, and, the study is worth a read. Here is what they say about inflight connectivity competition:

“Indeed, the main competitors on the market are OnAir, VIA SAT and Aeromobile. OnAir, a fully owned subsidiary of SITA, originally incorporated as a joint venture with Airbus is based in Switzerland and has operations internationally. OnAir is focused either on airlines but also on cruise ship since 2005. In 2014, they had equipped 22 airlines. They are offering to flyers an Internet connection of 56 Kbit/s and provide OnAir services with an integrated GSM. Recently they have equipped the innovative plane Solar Impulse.

Via Sat is an American company making 1 Billion Sales. They are specialized in global satellite services for government, commercial aircraft and cruises.

Aeromobile, part of Panasonic, is based in UK, since 2010 and generates 2 Million USD of revenues. Their technology is based on a component of Panasonic’s Global Communications services.

Honeywell Aerospace, the largest manufacturer of aircraft engines and avionics is based in the US, generating 31 Billion USD Revenue is acting in many segments of aviation. On a bigger scale, they have the objective to lead the market in a near future with an innovative Wi-Fi Satellite connection.”

In conclusion, we are encouraged to note that Brazil is the leader in travel app usage (probably because of the dreadful telephone system), so noted a recent SITA release – “SAO PAULO – 5 March 2015 – More airline passengers in Brazil carry a smartphone than in other parts of the world. The SITA-ATW Passenger Survey reveals that 85% of passengers in Brazil carry smartphones compared to the global average of 81%. A significantly higher percentage of these passengers use apps from airlines, airports and travel agencies compared with passengers from Europe, Africa and the Middle East, making Brazil’s passengers among the most connected in the world.” The release went on to say: “When it comes to booking their flights, passengers in Brazil are also picking up their smartphones and tablets faster than their counterparts in other parts of the world. Some 43% of them regularly use their smartphone to book flights, this compares to the global average of 31%. In Brazil, 42% take advantage of the larger screen and regularly use tablets to book flights. This use of mobile technology is set to continue to rise – when asked which channels they would use more for tickets and services, if all equally available, 60% of passengers said smartphone apps and 53% tablets.”

Apps are here to stay and if the recent announcement of the Apple Watch has any influence and bearing on the situation, via GPS, one app on it will display your itinerary information when you near the airport. Make no mistake, wearable apps are next!

---

This Just In: IFExpress received a copy of the VT Miltope Press Release of their new nMAP2 – IEEE802.11ac Multifunction Access Point, featuring Cognitive Hotspot Technology. The company states that is is in the process of delivering its latest wireless product. And yes, it will be their “main focus” at AIX. More later…

Abu Dahbi | March 4, 2015– Etihad Airways announced today the airline’s new Airbus A380 service takes flight beginning December 1, 2015 for guests traveling between New York’s John F. Kennedy (JFK) International Airport and the airline’s Abu Dhabi home. The A380 features The Residence by Etihad™, the airline’s ultra-luxurious and private three-room suite in the sky, a first in commercial aviation.

James Hogan, Etihad Airways’ President and Chief Executive Officer, said: “The United States is a strategically important part of Etihad Airways’ growing global network and as a result of increased demand from our guests traveling between New York and Abu Dhabi — and onto the world, we are pleased to upgrade one of our two daily flights to an A380.

“At Etihad Airways, we are committed to offering unmatched luxury, comfort and convenience for our guests traveling with us across every class of service. New York marks the first U.S. destination where we will introduce our industry-leading A380 aircraft products and experience.”

Etihad Airways will continue to offer double daily service between New York’s JFK Airport and Abu Dhabi. The addition of the A380 will allow Etihad Airways to match capacity with increased demand. In 2014 alone, Etihad Airways’ Business and Economy Class load factors exceeded 80% on the popular route.

The two daily flights offer guests traveling from New York access to 709 weekly connections to 34 markets across the Gulf, Middle East, Indian subcontinent, Africa and South East Asia. With equity partner Jet Airways, Etihad Airways serves 15 unique destinations in India from Abu Dhabi.

The Residence by Etihad has captured the imagination of the air travel industry since it was unveiled in May 2014. Measuring 125 square feet in area, The Residence by Etihad features a private living room, separate en-suite shower room, bedroom with a double bed, and a dedicated Savoy Academy trained Butler to look after the needs of its discerning guests. The revolutionary cabin features a large 32” LCD monitor in the living room and a 24” version in the bedroom. Located on the forward upper deck of the A380, The Residence by Etihad is available for single or double occupancy.

The A380 is also the only aircraft in the Etihad Airways fleet to feature nine First Apartments in the industry’s first ever single aisle cabin on a wide body aircraft. Each apartment offers a private living space with a large Poltrona Frau leather lounge chair and an ottoman — the latter which opens up to become a separate 80.5” long fully flat bed. Each First Apartment also offers a 74 per cent increase in space over the airline’s current award-winning First Class suites, a 24” swiveling LCD TV monitor and personal vanity unit. A fully equipped shower room is available for exclusive use by First Class guests.

70 Business Studios, set in a 1-2-1 configuration, are located on the upper deck of the A380, providing guests with a 20 per cent increase in personal space, direct aisle access and a fully flat bed of up to 80.5” in length. Upholstered in Poltrona Frau leather, each Business Studio is equipped with in-seat massage and a pneumatic cushion control system. This unique feature is also installed in The Residence by Etihad and the First Apartment seating.

The Lobby, available to guests in First and Business Class, is a serviced lounge and bar area located between the two cabins, featuring leather sofas, refreshments and a large TV with USB connection.

415 Economy Smart Seats are located on the main deck and feature enhanced comfort with unique, ergonomic ‘fixed wing’ headrests, lumbar support and a larger 11.1” personal TV monitor.

The airline has introduced the latest Panasonic eX3 entertainment system with a new, modern interface onboard the A380, providing more than 750 hours of on-demand entertainment, improved gaming, and high definition touchscreens across all cabins. The system also has video touchscreen handsets in all cabins, offering an additional screen so guests can play games or view the moving map while watching their chosen program. Noise cancelling headsets are provided across all cabins with built-in magnetic audio jacks for superior sound quality. The A380 is equipped with full mobile and Wi-Fi service, and USB and power points at every seat in every cabin, as well as seven channels of Live TV.

• Etihad Airways Airbus A380 flight installed with AeroMobile services

London | February 23, 2015– AeroMobile has celebrated the first Airbus A380 to be fully line-fitted with its inflight mobile phone network. The Etihad Airways A380-800 (A6-APA) aircraft’s inaugural flight with AeroMobile services was from Abu Dhabi to London Heathrow, touching down on Friday 13 February 2015. This successful maiden flight paves the way for future A380s to be fitted with AeroMobile services.

The newly-connected aircraft accommodates 498 guests in total – 417 in Economy Class, 70 in Business Class, 9 in First Class and two in The Residence cabin.

Etihad Airways now has AeroMobile connectivity on 59 aircraft serving worldwide destinations from the Middle East. The AeroMobile service is also fitted to Etihad Airways’ Airbus A330-200, A330-300, A340-500 and A340-600 aircraft.

AeroMobile, a mobile network operator, enables airline passengers to roam inflight. The company provides technology and services that allow the safe use of passengers’ own mobile phones onboard aircraft.

AeroMobile’s inflight mobile services have proved incredibly popular with passengers since the first flight in March 2008. In fact, since launch over 23.6 million passengers have successfully connected to the network and 2014 saw a strong increase in the uptake of AeroMobile services from airlines and passengers, which reflects the needs of the modern traveler; to always be connected.
AeroMobile has roaming agreements with more than 285 operators in over 130 countries, including UAE operators Etisalat and Du and O2, EE, Three and Vodafone in the UK.

“It’s very exciting to kick off 2015 with our first AeroMobile-connected A380. With demand for inflight connectivity increasing year-on-year, we’re looking forward to continued momentum in installed aircraft and passenger demand in 2015.” Kevin Rogers, CEO of AeroMobile.

• 80 per cent increase in usage of Etihad Airways’ Wi-Fi network in 2014
• Over 60 per cent increase in usage of Etihad Airways’ mobile network in 2014
• More than 2.5 million devices connected to the airline’s onboard mobile network in 2014
• An average of 50,000 hours of Live TV viewed every month

Abu Dhabi | February 4, 2015– Etihad Airways, which next month becomes one of the few airlines in the world to offer fleet-wide inflight connectivity services, has witnessed a dramatic surge in Internet and mobile phone usage in 2014.

Reflecting the broader trend for people to use their personal devices for work and entertainment when travelling, the growth was largely driven by people logging onto Etihad Airways’ Wi-Fi network, with usage rising by 80 per cent last year.

Increased demand for onboard mobile services also contributed to the surge in usage, with 2.6 million devices connecting to the airline’s onboard mobile network in 2014. Inflight texts and mobile phone calls increased by 62 per cent and 61 per cent respectively, compared to the same period in 2013.

iOS was the most popular operating system onboard, with 55 per cent of the airline’s guests connecting to the Internet with their iPads and iPhones, while 30 per cent used devices running on Android’s operating system.

Etihad Airways’ Live TV service is attracting strong interest and receiving great feedback from travellers, with an average of 50,000 hours of live news and major sporting events being viewed each month.

Peter Baumgartner, Etihad Airways’ Chief Commercial Officer, said: “We continue to redefine our guests’ air travel experience with innovative products and services, the latest communication technology and entertainment systems that best fit their needs.

“When people travel, they want to stay connected with their work, their friends and their family. They also want to be kept up-to-date with 24 hour world news services. This is now possible for the entire journey on an Etihad Airways flight.”

The services comprising Wi-Fi, mobile connectivity and live television, combine the “Etihad Wi-Fly” solution, powered by the Panasonic Avionics Global Communications Suite, and OnAir’s inflight connectivity solution.

The high-speed broadband services enable guests to access the Internet from laptops, tablets and smartphones over Wi-Fi, allowing them to send emails, log onto their favourite social media sites, upgrade seats, change travel plans and much more, all from the comfort of their seats at 35,000 feet.

The mobile connectivity service allows guests to use their mobile phones and smartphones to make and receive phone calls, send and read SMS text messages or email, use mobile data services to browse the web, and much more.

Now available on 43 wide-body aircraft, the Live TV service brings quality content from seven television channels including BBC World News, Sport 24 and CNN, the top three most viewed channels, and CNBC, euronews, Japan’s NHK World Premium, and Sky News Arabia.

The airline’s connected fleet comprises 92 passenger aircraft including 29 Airbus A319/320/321s, 26 A330s, 11 A340s, one A380, 24 Boeing 777 family aircraft and the first B787 Dreamliner, which serve routes across six continents. All future aircraft scheduled for delivery through 2015 will also be equipped with inflight connectivity.

Packages to access the Internet start at US$5 and can be purchased using credit cards, PayPal and a range of other convenient payment methods. Mobile telephone usage will be billed by the guest’s mobile service providers based on the international roaming rates levied by the service providers.

Notes: All Etihad Airways’ narrow-body aircraft offer a mix of Wi-Fi and mobile services, or mobile services only.

Itasca, IL | January 26, 2015– January 26, 2015 – Gogo Inc. (NASDAQ: GOGO), a leading global aero communications service provider, announced today that it’s on track for record aircraft installs in 2015. The company now has a backlog of well more than 1,000 commercial aircraft, more than half of which are expected to be installed in 2015. With the large backlog in commercial aviation and the company’s current trends in business aviation, Gogo expects to install a record number of aircraft in 2015. Recently announced domestic regional jet installs and certain international fleet wins are expected to make up the bulk of the installs for 2015.

Gogo expects to bring 500 additional commercial aircraft online by the end of this year, which would bring the total number of commercial aircraft equipped with its connectivity service to more than 2600. Of the new installs, around 25 percent are expected to be international aircraft.

In addition to new installs, Gogo continues to upgrade previously-installed ATG systems to its next generation ATG-4 technology, which triples peak speeds to the aircraft and brings more capacity to the sky. More than a third of the aircraft on which ATG was installed have been upgraded to ATG-4. Gogo expects close to half the commercial fleet operating in the U.S., or more than 1,000 aircraft, to be upgraded to the newer technology by the end of 2015.

“Operationally, what the talented group at Gogo has accomplished and is set to accomplish in 2015 is unprecedented in this industry and continues to amaze me,” said Gogo’s president and CEO, Michael Small. “Between installing new service and upgrading our original ATG service to ATG-4, our installation team expects to touch 1,000 aircraft in various parts of the world in 2015. We are excited about where we are going in terms of bringing new aircraft online and adding significantly more capacity to the network.”

In addition to the ATG-4 roll-out, Gogo is on track to launch its global satellite solution – 2Ku – in the second half of 2015. 2Ku is expected to bring peak speeds of more than 70 Mbps to an aircraft, a 20 fold increase when compared to Gogo’s original ATG technology.

“2Ku will bring significantly more bandwidth at what we estimate will be half the costs of competing solutions available in the market today,” added Small. “We believe this technology is transformative for global aviation in terms of Internet speeds, capacity, coverage, costs and reliability.”

We don’t know of an introductory book on IFEC on the market today, certainly not one that is as current as the one we just reviewed, that is, until we got a copy of the latest from an IFEC long-timer, Rory Briski. It features both the systems and the overall technology driving our market, so when we read Rory’s new book, “In-Flight Entertainment and Connectivity”, we thought we had better talk to the author about it to see just why he undertook the effort.

Perhaps, the preamble sets the stage best:

“In-Flight Entertainment has been around since the beginning of flight. The “forms” of entertainment may have changed, but the underlying principals have remained the same.
In this book I endeavor to convey to you the essence of the history and present day systems and technologies that have shaped the In-Flight Entertainment & Connectivity (IFEC) landscape.The book is divided into four (4) main sections: A brief beginning section, a section on Air Transport Class Aircraft (typical commercial airline aircraft), a section on Business, and Corporate aircraft, and lastly a section on VIP & VVIP aircraft.”

Having known Rory for almost 30 years and having worked with him at, at least one company, we can easily state that he has the pedigree for writing in this industry. Companies that Rory has worked for over the years include Panasonic, Primex, Pacific Systems, and others. He told IFExpress that this is a current book of industry basics and an introductory into the world of IFEC. So, we decided to ask a few questions:

IFExpress: Why did you write this book on IFEC?
Rory Briski: Having been in the IFEC business for 30 or so years, I found myself having to explain industry basics, system types, regulations, constraints, part certification and other “tribal knowledge” over and over again to a variety of different folks. Sometimes these were people just starting out in aviation, other times they were veterans of the aviation industry who weren’t familiar with IFEC systems and other times they were executives that were now responsible for the cabin systems but had no familiarity with them.

IFExpress: In choosing to write about IFEC, did you discover anything in your quest?
Rory Briski: What I found was that there was no real comprehensive guide or consolidated information available to the general public, or industry people for that matter, that explained the history and scope of the aircraft cabin systems. Plenty of information out there about flight controls and radar and all the bits that help the aircraft fly, but nothing really in one place about IFEC and related systems. Yes, there are great web sites like AIRFAX that cover a lot of industry news, but nowhere could I find a comprehensive all inclusive guide from start to finish. Additionally, while the IFEC and CMS systems in Air Transport and Executive Jets have some similarities, they are far more different than most people realize, so I wanted to explain a few things there as well.

IFExpress: We gather timing was an issue as well?
Rory Briski: Yes, the time was right to publish a book on the subject. After all, I’ve been working with and designing these systems, collecting data, writing reports and white papers on IFEC and CMS for a very long time. And since I’ve already published three other books, not aircraft related, the challenge of writing and publishing were not new to me. Additionally, I think this book should be mandatory reading for those starting out in this business, for people that are already in the business that would like to know how the systems work and relate to each other, and certainly for people and companies that would like to break into the IFEC/CMS market.

IFExpress: So you agree that this is a good book for IFEC Newbies?
Rory Briski: Knowledge and wisdom are the keys to making sound and informed decisions. If I can impart upon the reader a bit of the knowledge and wisdom I’ve gained over the years, then so much the better for them.

Finally, we have to admit that this book is perfect for newbies in the IFE Industry, if for no other reason that Rory included hundreds of pictures and diagrams. Frankly, we don’t know where he amassed such a collection but we learned a few things that we never knew… so can you. Check this one out, especially if you are new to IFEC, you won’t be disappointed. You can get your copy through Amazon at the link provided in the first paragraph.

---

If you are into aircraft construction you might note that Boeing will be building 50+ B737 aircraft per month (from 42 today), and we note, the fuselages are shipped by train to Renton, WA. from Wichita, KS. If you want to see the whole construction process check this out

---

From A Reader: “I don’t know if you heard, but Lonnie Webber, one of the founders of the former SONY Trans Com – actually it was under Sundstrand Data Control at the time and just called Trans Com – passed away on 12/26/2014. It was apparently a sudden heart attack. You may recall his articles and contributions to IFE when you read all those old AVION magazine articles (John White) he wrote about the early days of IFE… starting with film reels in the airplane; going to film cassettes (5 ft diameters, hidden in the ceilings); shrinking down to what made Trans Com successful – Super 8 mm film cassettes; and then progressing to Beta Max tapes (vs. VHS that Panasonic standardized on); and on to DVD players and multi-players. Trans Com also pioneered the use of CD for audio players in those days. Lonnie held several patents on the film technology and along with John Landstrom and Robert Kitson founded one of the very first IFE companies in our industry.”

---

Finally, after we sent out last weeks predictions, three more came to mind; so as not to leave unfinished business:

• Watch for a US airline to install inflight voice phone capability as a “test” vehicle, possibly in an upper class.
• Perhaps the FAA will force a limit to shrinking inflight seating citing and increased loading an issue with emergency egress safety, making friends with the traveling public forever.
• Commercial aircraft laser strikes will increase… Three Delta flights approaching LAX struck by lasers | Ars Technica be afraid, very afraid!

• Qatar: launch customer for OnAir’s connectivity

Geneva | January 7, 2015– OnAir’s full inflight connectivity suite, including Mobile OnAir and Internet OnAir, is being installed as line fit on Qatar Airways’ brand new A350s the first of which was unveiled in Doha today, January 7, 2015. Passengers can now choose between mobile phone connectivity and Wi-Fi, depending on their preference.

While flying, passengers have been taking to social media to say how much they like inflight connectivity and appreciate staying online.

“OnAir’s innovation has ensured that the internal technology matches the ground-breaking work that has gone into the construction of the A350,” said Ian Dawkins, CEO of OnAir. “We are helping Qatar Airways give its passengers the most up-to-date solutions which fall in line with passengers’ expectations of a 5-Star Airline.”

OnAir’s next generation inflight connectivity services, using GX Aviation, will be launched on the A350 in 2016. Inmarsat’s ground-breaking global Ka-band network will provide up to 50Mbs to the aircraft. Importantly, the passenger experience will be consistent across the globe.

“OnAir has been at the forefront of the inflight connectivity market since the very beginning. I am very proud that we’re continuing our tradition with another first for the industry with the launch of GX Aviation,” continued Ian Dawkins.  “We understand the importance of providing the very best services available to the aircraft. Qatar Airways is a long-standing and loyal OnAir customer – its choice of OnAir inflight connectivity for its A350s speaks volumes about the service we are able to deliver.”

The OnAir-connected A350 will initially fly on the Doha-Frankfurt route.

MEBA, Dubai | December 7, 2014– The Middle East business aviation market is the most sophisticated user of inflight connectivity, according to OnAir, the world’s leading provider of inflight mobile phone and Wi-Fi services.

VIP and corporate jets use inflight connectivity for both the cockpit and the cabin. In the cockpit, connectivity is used to enhance the efficiency of the flight. In the cabin, it is used to replicate the office, ensuring travel time is used well. Aircraft owners and passengers can continue working as if they were in their office, with access to the corporate network.

With Mobile OnAir service increasingly provided on business jets, passengers benefit from real freedom to communicate whenever they wish.

“The business jet market typically leads the way with any technology innovation and connectivity is no exception,” said Stephan Egli, Chief Commercial Officer, OnAir. “One of the key differentiators of Mobile OnAir is that it gives any passenger the ability to use their mobile phone exactly as they do on the ground. That includes the same simplicity and privacy, without anyone needing to know where you are, which can be extremely important. Confidentiality is preserved.”

OnAir has over 60 customers around the world, including government and VIP aircraft, as well as commercial airlines across the Middle East and the rest of the world. OnAir provides them all with consistent global coverage, whether they are flying over land or water, on every route.

OnAir’s products, including both mobile phone and Wi-Fi services, are available on all aircraft types, from the Airbus A380 to the more typical VIP aircraft types. For example, OnAir is available as line fit on Airbus Corporate Jets, as well as Dassault’s flagship, the Falcon 7X. It is also available as retro fit on all converted airliners, and OnAir has well-established partnerships with the best completion centres around the world.

As an Inmarsat Distribution Partner for both SwiftBroadband and GX Aviation services, OnAir is perfectly placed to meet VIP operators’ needs for today and tomorrow.

• Ushering in a new era of Sri Lankan aviation

Geneva | November 13, 2014– SriLankan Airlines’ first fully-connected A330-300 (registration 4R-ALL) entered commercial service on Sunday (9 November, 2014). It is equipped with both Internet OnAir and Mobile OnAir. This is an historic moment for SriLankan Airlines, with the national carrier launching a new era of world travel by providing its passengers a more luxurious on-board experience. Putting full inflight connectivity on the aircraft demonstrates the Airline’s growing commitment to redefining the flying experience.

Passengers on board the delivery flight from Toulouse to Colombo, including SriLankan Airlines’ Chief Marketing Officer, G. T. Jeyaseelan, all made special mention of the aircraft’s inflight connectivity.

Once they’ve tweeted from 35,000 feet and told their friends on Facebook that they’re chatting to them live from an aircraft, passengers can knuckle down to send emails or simply continue to browse the web. The combination of Wi-Fi and mobile phone connectivity allows passengers to take a flight without missing a beat.

“We are gearing-up SriLankan to meet the challenges and ever-growing demands of the global travel industry,” said SriLankan Airlines’ Chief Marketing Officer, G. T. Jeyaseelan. “Our new fleet is giving us the opportunity to introduce innovative products and services to enhance the passenger experience. Providing mobile phone and Internet connectivity is a very important element of our superior offering in a highly competitive market.”

Now in service, the aircraft will be deployed on different routes as part of the performance evaluation programme that will last for a period of three months. Consequently, SriLankan Airlines began commercial operations of its newly acquired Airbus 330-300 with a direct non-stop service to London on Sunday.

At the conclusion of the evaluation programme, the Airline will decide on a particular route for the new aircraft, based on passenger volumes, route yields, demand for Business Class, frequency and consistency of the product, as well as the number of aircraft required to support the frequencies to a particular destination. SriLankan is looking to deploy its new A330-300s primarily on Far-Eastern routes including Bangkok, Tokyo and Chinese cities of Canton and Beijing.

OnAir has an unrivalled number of roaming agreements with mobile network operators in the region. Therefore, passengers from both Sri Lanka and other countries can all access to the inflight mobile phone network throughout the flight.

“We provide inflight connectivity across the whole of Asia,” said Ian Dawkins, CEO of OnAir. “Our unique network of roaming agreements and authorizations from national regulators means OnAir is the leading supplier in the region. We are delighted to be supporting SriLankan Airlines’ drive to break new ground in Sri Lankan aviation.”

The big deal this week is the announcement from AT&T on Sunday that they are no longer courting the inflight Wi-Fi business, and we all wondered when it was going to happen. Lets face it, Gogo has the US market sewed up for years and we only wondered when AT&T was going to come to the same conclusion. While their LTE solution might have been a bandwidth improvement, we seem to remember that they had to work with other providers to rent space on their towers. Faced with the choice of teaming or acquiring, they folded their cards. That plus aircraft equipment costs must have generated a long-term profit quandary. Our insiders reported just that… it’s a bad deal from the cost of getting into the business. Today, Gogo stock price is up at $18.19 per share. Enough said!

---

Through the new ARINCDirect, Rockwell Collins will offer its more than 3,500 flight support services customers (BizJet) around the globe the latest in intuitive flight planning using state-of-the-art online and mobile platforms; award-winning regional and international trip support; comprehensive weather services; a full spectrum of cabin connectivity options; and flexible and integrated flight operations and scheduling services. They highlighted their new ARINCDirect at the company’s eNBAA exhibit, which featured a number of new services and capabilities, some of which we may eventually see in commercial aviation including: New extensions of Rockwell Collins’ Flight Operating System (FOS) that will promote new levels of integration between the ARINCDirect application and the flight scheduling and operations management software. Their latest connectivity capabilities to help keep the cabin and crew connected in-flight, an innovative tankering feature to help business aviation operators better manage fuel costs, and an integrated weight and balance/performance feature in the ARINCDirect iPad app Moving forward. A company spokesman said that Rockwell will focus on key enhancements to the portfolio that will make the passenger experience as seamless as home and office environments, and enable operators to manage their business as effectively as possible. “We’re looking at further integration of our ARINCDirect services with our cabin and flight deck offerings,” he said. “We also see great potential in analyzing the data that crosses our network, for individual aircraft or across a fleet, to improve efficiency and productivity. With the new ARINCDirect, Rockwell Collins is uniquely positioned to provide our business aviation customers with services for the flight deck, cabin, back office and everywhere in between.” Now, IFExpress wonders when similar offerings will be made to the commercial airline community? Lastly, we note that Rockwell Collins recently announced it is teaming with China-based airline seat maker Hubei Ali Jiatai to install PAVES On-demand. The two companies have entered into a memorandum of understanding to achieve technical offerability for the complete IFE seat solution on Next-Generation Boeing 737 aircraft.

---

We heard from Charlie Pryor about the latest Inmarsat construction effort. As the leading provider of global mobile satellite communications services, today announced that it has completed construction of the final four satellite access stations (SAS) for its Global Xpress (GX) fleet. This represents a significant milestone in the rollout of GX, the world’s first, global high-speed broadband Ka-band network, which is scheduled for global commercial service introduction early in the second half of 2015. GX Aviation will deliver 50Mbps broadband connectivity to both commercial and business aircraft. It is the only Ka-band network to provide consistent global coverage. The new GX stations are located in Lino Lakes in Minnesota, USA; Winnipeg in Manitoba, Canada; with two sites near Auckland, New Zealand. Two further stations – in Fucino, Italy and Nemea, Greece – are already operational, servicing the first Global Xpress satellite that covers the Indian Ocean region. All six GX SAS will act as gateways between the broadband traffic routed via the three Inmarsat-5 (I-5) satellites and terrestrial fixed networks. Each SAS delivers full ground segment redundancy for GX services, delivering highest quality resiliency, reliability and availability, for example at times of adverse weather, and offering a powerful differentiator to traditional regional Ku-band networks.

Inmarsat has been providing GX services to government customers in the Indian Ocean region since 1 July 2014 and GX Aviation is on track to be available for airlines from mid-2015. “Completing our ground network is an important step in rolling out our global GX service, which is on course to be in service by early in the second half of 2015,” said Leo Mondale, President, Inmarsat Aviation. “The inflight connectivity market is growing rapidly, with passengers around the world increasingly expecting to be connected when they are flying. And they want a comparable level of service to what they are used to on the ground. It is paramount airlines have access to high speed and high capacity connections that provide the same reliable service wherever they fly across the world. GX Aviation is the only global network that can provide seamless, high capacity Ka-band connectivity fit for purpose for airlines. The launch of GX globally in 2015 is perfectly timed to meet passenger and airline demand.”

The first satellite in the GX constellation I5F1 was launched late 2013. The remaining satellites are expected to be launched early in 2015.

---

If you keep up with BizJet new cabin technology, you know Flight Display Systems is a market leader and David Gray is the guy that made it happen… now as it happens, they have been sold: “Flight Display Systems, a leading developer and manufacturer of cabin management systems, in-flight entertainment solutions, and special mission military displays, today announced that it has been acquired by Harbert Private Equity Fund III. Reed Macdonald has been appointed Chief Executive Officer. The acquisition will fuel continued growth, expand engineering and production capabilities, and further enhance partner relationships.”

---

In the past, we have shared Giame Porcu’s of Thales trade show/event observations because he always has something to say, and yes, he does have a slight bias, but read beyond that… if you did not get to China’s Zuhai Air Show, it is an interesting update.

---

Bits & Pieces

Each year we like to look at this SpeedNews product to see what and when it is happening in the industry – it is very good and useful for your 2015 scheduling.

Think you know about radiated emissions? Take this test and see

IFExpress ran into Beth de Young (past CEO, Zodiac Lighting Solutions/IDD) at AIX and note that she is now in a new “Corporate” job as Vice President, Business Development, Lease Customers. Her previous role is now occupied by Mr. Thierry Despres, CEO Zodiac Lighting Solutions.

If you like aircraft at airshows, stunt planes and guitars (in that order), you will like this video!

Looking for the fastest inflight Wi-Fi? Look no further The Challenge of Finding the Fastest In-Flight Wi-Fi – Skift

Geneva | October 23, 2014– Qatar Airways’ first A380, which is fully connected, entered revenue service this month. It is operating between Doha and London. The airline’s nine other A380s will also be serviced with both Mobile OnAir and the next generation Internet OnAir.

OnAir’s SwiftBroadband-based mobile phone and Wi-Fi inflight connectivity is now successfully deployed on over half the world’s A380s. This news cements OnAir’s position as the A380 onboard connectivity expert.

“Qatar Airways has provided connectivity for its passengers for nearly five years. Keeping passengers connected everywhere they fly around the world is an integral part of the airline’s exceptional cabin offering,” said Ian Dawkins, CEO of OnAir.

“Qatar Airways is one of the pioneers of inflight connectivity on both long- and short-haul aircraft. Its use of OnAir is evidence that our connectivity is ideal for every aircraft type. And it is obvious that OnAir is the go-to company for A380 connectivity. We are the only service provider with multiple inflight connectivity systems. We can therefore meet the airline’s connectivity requirements across all fleets.”

OnAir is platform agnostic, offering a choice of airborne systems to suit every fleet’s needs. Qatar Airways short-haul fleet of A320-family aircraft has been equipped with the Airbus Standalone GSM system since 2009 when the service was launched, and the B787 fleet uses Thales’ TopConnect hardware.

Thompson Aerospace

As usual Mark Thompson had a few new and “different” takes on the IFE business. There were at least two big ones, which he shared with us. Perhaps the biggest news is he has formed a joint venture with Imagik who will be handling the sales of his system and since they already produce their inseat screens. The JV gives Thompson the opportunity to focus on the server/technology side of the product. The second item of note from the interview is the developments in their server technology. To quote Mark, “The biggest problem in this business has always been managing the data.” To that end, Thompson has employed some very clever solutions and the key to their data management schemes is to maintain a secure connection between the aircraft and the ground and provide a scheme for validation between the airborne unit and the cloud. With the advent of a lot of credit cards sales, both onboard and off board the aircraft, Thompson has designed their server with Level 3 FIPS security “…equal to that used by the US Federal Reserve,” he noted. Thompson has had this gateway in development for the past 3 years and the company told IFExpress that in 2020 the US government is requiring Level 3 FIPS security from airborne satellite communications… and Thompson Aerospace can provide it now. Their goal all along has been to move toward ‘the intelligent aircraft’ by bringing labor savings to the plane and they have increased the security of connectivity, which is employed by both the servers and routers. Bottom line, neither the passenger nor the airline needs to be concerned about hacking into the wireless system, and as we noted earlier, this level of security will be demanded in the future. This also facilitates the move toward the intelligent aircraft by facilitating inventory control as well as fuel burn savings. Oh, and IFExpress thinks there is a launch customer in the works! To bring the point home, Mark stated they have never really been an IFE company – they have always been a data company. “We are a CISCO!” he said. (Editor’s Note: With this level of data security between the aircraft and the cloud, we feel that Thompson is on the right track when it comes to handling aircraft ‘big data’ as well as IFE and passenger data communication.)

---

digEcor

The first bit of news from digEcor is reorganization. The company has brought on two significant additions: 1) Paul Thorpe has been brought on as digEcor’s President Europe 2) Laurie Barns has joined as digEcor’s President of Asia. With these additions the company has new leadership and new visions. There is a focus on investing in new products, as well as, increasing their global presence and their target is the retrofit market. “We are keeping the core business but investing both in people and products.” The company has focused on four areas: Hardware, Content Services, Ancillary Revenue, and Passenger Services. digEcor’s objective is to be the cabin technology provider for the passenger and through this effort the company is redefining IFE to be the overall inflight experience at a competitive price. One example of this is USB power. Their last passenger survey indicated USB power was high on the list of ‘customer wants/needs’. digEcor listened and has brought a USB power offering to the marketplace. The system features a power supply, USB seat box and a remote USB outlet providing 5V USB. Another product they are dually proud of, which was introduced a couple of years ago, is GLIDE. GLIDE is digEcor’s Embedded IFE System that is low weight and fully scalable across both narrow body and wide body aircraft. It is being certified on ATI with PMA to follow. There has been a high level of interest and we understand the price model is very competitive. The Cabin Management System is the only head-end on the system and the PSS functions are in the PCUs, providing the airline with weight savings because of the reduction in wiring. The system on average is 2.2 pounds or less per passenger. Lastly, digEcor has also developed ENGAGE, which is a cabin crew mobile application. ENGAGE integrates with airline ground systems to make current data accessible in the air on a mobile device. Cabin crews have all the relevant passenger information available at the swipe of a finger and can complete operation reports on the device inflight. The digEcor team!

---

BOSE

The newest product from BOSE is the QC 25. The choice of Audiophiles, the QC 25’s now have greater noise reduction than the QC 15’s (probably due to improvements in the ear pad and active noise reduction electronics). The pair we tested seamed to have improved high-end audio performance but the audio improvement increase was beyond our hearing capability – an audiophile’s delight. We asked Hratch Astarjian (perhaps the worlds nicest guy) about the added features on the QC -25 and he told IFExpress: “The QuietComfort 25 has been engineered to provide even better audio performance, greater comfort, improved stow-ability, and the noise reduction performance Bose has come to be known for.  We’ve also given it a more modern and elegant design that reinforces the notion that this truly is a premium noise canceling headphone.” For example, we note, a clever earphone pivot now allows for even greater stow-ability and the units appear to have a passive audio mode, whereby you can still listen to audio programming (with reduced frequency response) in case of a loss of battery or external DC power. The airline units have 2 color options. And, Hratch noted: “Yes, we will put the airline’s logo on the headphone, along with our own logo.  We are offering both colors (black or white), though my guess is most airlines will select the darker color.  The white color, while really nice for an individual owner, might show dirt more readily in an airline use case than the black.” In the consumer market, we are told that there are customizable color options for the QC 25. The unit runs on a single AA battery for an amazing 35 – 40 hours and we understand a seat-powered option is on its way. Noted Hratch, “No airlines are currently using the QC25 because we have not made it available in a seat powered configuration yet.  However, there are several airlines, including the ones with whom we already have a relationship, that plan to offer the QC25 to their premium passengers as soon as it is available.  American Airlines will be the first domestic airline to offer the QC25. The consumer version, which uses 1 AAA battery, is available to individuals now.” The elegant BOSE QC 25’s are $299. (Editor’s Note: 2014 represents BOOSE 25th year serving the aviation industry, as well as, their 50th anniversary! )

---

Armstrong Aerospace

It was good to see Shawn Raybell again who has joined Armstrong from Jamco. The Armstrong company slogan, “From Concept to Certification” holds true and as an organization that designs, certifies, analyzes, and provides kits, is well named. Specifically in our industry they are known for their gate-to-gate testing of TPEDs. Basically Armstrong looks at the 802.11 industry standards and test with all devices to prove that there is no RF interference. This includes service to airlines and equipment OEMs as well. As Shawn noted, “Airlines and OEMs now realize that this testing gives them ownership of the data.” We were interested in how they do some of the testing and we were told that the company’s focus is on teams and they have three teams comprised of three individuals, which includes a DER. The teams are traveling all the time to perform certification and testing data. They are looking for spurious transmissions and unintentional interferences with things such as ILS and communication equipment, to name two. When we asked about the competition in this industry, Shawn told us, “We are the leaders in this bus.”

Armstrong also displayed a PowerBox and PowerBar with AC and USB power outlets. We were told that the company’s strength was in the installation of IFE, Wi-Fi, and seat power – quite often on seat tracks and independent from the seat. From our understanding, PowerBox and PowerBar are agnostic units as far as the power vender goes. We note that the PowerBox can skip every other seat row and serve both with a patent pending design.

Lastly, Armstrong is also known for their BirdStriker devices, which are used often to protect radomes and antennas.

---

GUE Tech

Each year GUE Tech never ceases to amaze and this Max hired cheerleaders… need we say more? GUE Tech is all about inflight gaming and the quote from their mission statement says it all: “The mission of GUE Tech is to enhance the quality of interactive entertainment and assist with the creation of core software, games, and media applications.” We should note that last year GUE Tech had an exclusive arrangement with one major airline and now that the exclusive period is over they are offering their product line to the marketplace once again. Max told us that they are actively involved in Interactive Movies and classic and retro games. They offer a set of movies with different endings and different games, including play options that allow interaction with the various endings. We note they also have interactive books. GUE Tech has six full time people and has brought on Jorg Shiffermann to assist with marketing. Max approaches the game market from a different perspective than other CSPs and we note that his games are ‘smart’ and driven by a joystick that defaults to a touch screen. Furthermore, we note that 2014 will be a $66 B year for games. This according to Max Lingua is twice the size of the movie market. Why? Generation Y plays these types of interactive games. “We wish the passenger to have the same experience in the air that they have in there own media room at home.”

---

Lumexis

Lumexis pointed out that the airline industry has been cautious over the past 9-12 months in ordering IFE as airlines try and reconcile the bold claims of so-far unproven stand-alone Wi-Fi systems against well-established and proven seat-back IFE systems which continue to dominate the market. Jon Norris (Lumexis VP Sales) noted that 98% of twin-aisle aircraft continue to be delivered with seat-back AVOD systems while for single-aisle aircraft deliveries, 44% have no IFE installed, 29% have in-seat AVOD and the remaining 27% have overhead systems. He also told IFExpress that FTTS remains the premium market product whose mantra is Best By Every Measure: Lightest Weight, Greatest Capacity, Lowest Cost and Highest Reliability. Jon also noted that Lumexis continues to actively explore emerging screen, processor and storage technologies plus consumer/passenger trends. Lumexis’ FTTS Second Screen is an example of this approach. Presently, he noted that they are happy to partner with any connectivity provider and are looking at fine-tuning their combined IFEC offering and working more closely with partner connectivity companies. Lumexis just finished their second Lion Air B737 installation and expects to have completed 14 installations by yearend. The first provisions line-fit Lion Air B737 will be delivered in February 2015 and the first full FTTS installation will be delivered from Boeing Renton towards the end of 2015. Furthermore, things are quite busy at Lumexis since Lion have more than 500 aircraft backlogged between Airbus and Boeing. Airbus activity will include first-of-type installations on Lion Air A320s, as well as a second A330 installation for Turkish Airlines later this year. Stay tuned.

---

BAE Systems

BAE Systems IntelliCabin is one of the more interesting new IFE/systems in the marketplace, although they have had years of experiences with aircraft cabin control device sand integration. A lot of the credit of the new IFE offering goes to Jared Shoemaker who has spooled up the effort to deliver a state-of-the art table IFE system powered by Samsung tablets, simplified crew functions via the use of mobile devices, dynamic LED lighting, and a full turnkey support, installation, and STC offering. On the power side of the equation they have developed 110 V AC and USB outlets, smart junction boxes, a variable frequency converter, and a power control panel. The four USB outlets can deliver 2 amps, which should be sufficient for iPad applications. On the IFE side, we liked the Samsung tablets because we were told they were all OLED screen devices. Furthermore, the device content is supplied by WISE from GEE, and yes, it is streamed. The system is established on an Android platform. We also note that brought-on Android PEDS can operate with the system by downloading an inflight App. The servers and wireless access points for IntelliCabin are being provided by Kontron, we understand. IFExpress was told that the system should be complete by the end of December 2014 with first STC with installation targeting March of 2015. Nice Product!

---

Astronics

No doubt when you talk about Astronics you are talking about a market leader. Today we understand they have 91% of the commercial inseat power market. This is, no doubt, due to a small and efficient power conversion box and associated technology. We also note that something bigger is going on at Astronics Corporation and it falls into the category of diversification. The parent company of Astronics has been acquiring companies for a number of years and their latest acquisition was AeroSat. Acquisitions are based on overall fit and culture of the company (As well as their bottom line, we assume). Astronics Corporation strongly believes in relationships of trust and each company under the parent umbrella stands on their own. One of the key features each company must have is a focus on the customer, we were told, and if recent sales are an indication, that seems to be the norm.

Astronics told us that they are the only inseat power company line-offerable at Boeing and Airbus, possibly because each seat box can power 4 iPads simultaneously. There is a lot more happening at Astronics than meets the eye and we cant talk about it now but we suggest you stay tuned to this one!

---

SoundChip

Buried back in the corner of Panasonic’s New Technology displays was Sound Chip, an audio manufacturer. Sound Chip develops and manufactures HD quality audio chips that fit inside high quality headphones. The idea here is simple. Digital audio is sent from the server and ends up in the chip to be converted to analog audio and the results are stunning. No intermediate signal modification, loss, or noise interjection! Typically, digital audio that starts at the server and ends somewhere before the headphones, usually before the audio amplifiers in the SEB. Perhaps the most important feature in this type of design is the amazing presence that the audio has, and someday, there will be a lot more of this technology on aircraft audio systems as the demand for higher quality audio grows. For more information contact Mark Donaldson, CEO, SoundChip.

---

VT Miltope

Lastly, we must say something about VT Miltope and their nMAP2 wireless router. We’ve said it before and we will say it again, because of the Cognitive Hotspot Technology engineered into the device, their approach to aircraft wireless routers will change the industry. Why? Because the products are smart and adaptive and they can determine the best Wi-Fi signal for each passenger based upon a large number of measured parameters and then correct router and signals accordingly. The device does this and many more functions in real time. These measurements occur dynamically and the net result, according to VT Miltope scientists, is a minimum 10% connectivity improvement over older wireless router technology – we think this is a low-ball estimate. In a discussion with industry guru Robert Guidetti, the units “talk’ to each other and back to the server to determine the best signal to each seat/PED. A special antenna is built into nMAP2, as well as, an embedded microprocessor that controls the ‘intelligence’ of the device. We will say more about this product as the company discloses installation and performance results.

---

Other Notes:

One of our early IFExpress/AIRFAX readers/supporters, Jim McCann has started JMC Aerosystems, an avionics product and business development company. You can reach him at jmc.aero@gmail.com

We really liked Alfy Veretto, APEX President, and you probably know him with his constant companion – his hat. We got him to pose with it off!

The award for the Most Outrageous T-Shirt at APEX has to go to the gang from Encore Inflight Limited in Hong Kong – check it out!

On our second day on the show floor we visited and interviewed 13 vendors. We like to provide a little highlight detail for our readers who do not get a chance to go to the shows – enjoy!

---

FlightPath 3D

We ran into FlightPath3D and got an update on the innovative moving map provider. We understand the software solution is presently flying on Air France, KLM and Norwegian and their software is working with Panasonic and Lumexis hardware. It is important to note that the FlightPath3D solution is all software and their solutions are very passenger friendly and feature rich in applications. The process of providing various aspects of the moving map experience includes the Pilot HUD view, the Passenger Window view, City Lights & Time Zones, and Distance & Direction indicator. What we really liked was the airplane view that allowed custom branding. But the 3D moving map offers more because they have included flight information screens, connecting gate information, airline route maps, and destination information. While we are on that subject, the Destination Guide & Concierge Service provides a map with POIs and advertisers are utilized. This is a great opportunity for ancillary revenue generation for the airline. As long as an airline has connectivity service the passenger can make arrangements for reservations, show tickets, auto rental, etc. real-time. The IFExpress publisher fell in love with the Kidz 3D Discovery Map! It is important to note that FlightPath3D is platform independent and any aircraft in any operational environment can benefit from it. As important, is the fact that passengers can interface with it in the seat, on overhead video, and on their mobile device. Airlines can use FlightPath3D across their existing fleets even if they have a combination of inseat, overhead, and Wi-Fi. For more data contact them for additional information.

---

Aircraft Cabin Systems

One of the big deals for the ACS team this year is the expected completion of their Replaceable PMA, which notes that the ACS design is 100% compatible with existing narrow-body retracts. Because of the reliability, the screen size, and picture quality of the ACS units, the airlines are interested in replacing older technology products with the new retracts. This strategy was a very clever move on behalf of ACS. Yukio Sugmimote noted that greater than 20% of the existing single-aisle fleet already have retractable overhead monitors onboard. The ACS booth displayed the wide range of their retractable offerings for the Boeing 737 (9.7” and 12”) and the A320 (9.7” and 12”). Furthermore, the new 12” retract has been installed at ACJC (Airbus Corporate Jet). Now here is the big deal… ACS is targeting line fit for 2015. Stay tuned!

---

Lufthansa Systems

We always enjoy our time with Lufthansa Systems talking with Norbert Müller  and this year was no exception. At APEX LHS rolled out their Seat Integrated Tablet Solution, which is another feature for their integrated wireless BoardConnect platform. This allows high-resolution audio and video content to now be streamed over the Wi-Fi to passenger PEDs as well as integrated seat tablets. Interestingly, the Lufthansa Systems team has done two important feats in engineering with SITS: 1) the head strike issue has been solved with a clear plastic screen that slides up over the display for safety. 2) Amazingly enough, they are using modified tablets (COTS) for the semi-embedded system . Apparently, the battery has been removed from the system so the tablet is only powered installed in the seat-back via a special cable & connector. Not only does the system work on the App installed on the airline supplied tablet, but users have access to the system via their own PED as long as they already have the App installed. Stay tuned for the first customer announcement. Furthermore, SITS has the following features: video-on-demand, audio-on-demand, interactive moving map, electronic publications, surveys, basic and advanced advertising, shopping, chat, and news feed. (Editor’s Note: IFExpress did a Hot Topic on SITS in early September. If you happened to miss that issue or want to see more in depth coverage here is the link )

---

Gogo

In discussions with Gogo in Anaheim we gleaned the following news highlights:

• The corporate Gogo move to downtown Chicago is based on the following:
  • They have outgrown their existing facility.
  • Everyone will be in with one 230K-foot facility.
  • Today a lot of young talent prefers to live and work in large metropolitan areas.
  • And they are also very near Boeing, investors, etc.
• Currently Gogo has 800+ employees.
• They have purchased a B737-500 as their flying test lab.
• Gogo states that their focus is on 2Ku and is entirely outside of the USA.
• Gogo states that there has been some industry confusion between 2Ku and GTO (Ground-To-Orbit)
  • GTO is only available in North America
  • 2Ku covers overseas
• There are 500+ aircraft with ATG4 in North America
  • “ATG4 with 4 antennas triples the bandwidth and the performance is clearly better.”
  • The latency has decreased by 50%
  • Customer satisfaction has increased
• The fleet should number 800 at yearend.
• Gogo and T-Mobile have announced an exclusive arrangement for a period of time.
  • Text n Talk: This doesn’t require a pico cell… no touch on the system.

---

IFPL

The IFPL team was missing Geoff Underwood this year as he was back on the Isle of Wight receiving the company’s second Queens Award from the Duke of Kent! If there ever was a reason to miss an APEX this was about as good as it gets. Way to go IFPL. What’s next? Sir Geoff??

From a technical front IFPL was touting their Contactless Retail System (CRS), which utilizes Near Field Communication (NFC) technology. IFPL has developed an in-seat payment system for airline cabin passenger seats that takes advantage of the new NFC contactless card for low value purchases and has an intuitive interface that is easy to use. CRS allows passengers to pay quickly and simply with their credit/debit card for on–board transactions, eliminating the requirement for cash. Recent research suggests an increase in sales of up to 15% using contactless systems compared to traditional cash vending. CRS is easy to install with no in-seat wiring required and is easily configurable as IFPLs system integrates seamlessly with existing on-board payment servers. Alternatively it can be a stand-alone system that will run for up to 24 months on the optional built-in battery.

---

ViaSat

We talked with Don Buchman and he was rather proud of their recent APEX Avion Best Achievement in Technology Award for Exede In The Air by ViaSat. Exede in-flight internet service is designed to get more passengers using in-flight internet by eclipsing the service quality and speeds of other in-cabin airline broadband services. Compared to traditional take rates of less than 10 percent of passengers, uptake is averaging around 40 percent on flights using the ViaSat service, with a record 148 simultaneous personal electronic devices connected on a recent JetBlue flight. Exede utilizes the high capacity Ka-band satellite system and is capable of delivering 12 Mbps or more to every connected passenger. Well worth an award!

ViaSat also announced their new dual-band Ku/Ka Terminal that enable inflight network switching across commercial Ku- and Ka- band satellite networks. Using their innovative dual band terminal and a new radome, test flights were conducted in July and August on a commercial 757-200. The trial demonstrated the state of the art in broadband enroute communications with the aircraft transitioning among multiple satellite beams from six antennas three Ku- and Ka-band networks. The concept of the best available service borrows from the mobile cellular communications world. Seamless satellite network-switching benefits customers in the same way, as higher performance satellite coverage areas are introduced to new regions. The airborne broadband terminal integrated a ViaSat Ku/Ka-band antenna with ViaSat mobile and bordband modems, and a third-party modem. For more information contact Don Buchman

---

TE Connectivity

We always like to visit TE Connectivity because they usually have some new scientific solution to problems that have been around for a long time like plating on plastic – they can functionalize virtually any surface. This is a very broad-spectrum technology connectivity company that covers any major electronic industry globally. These folks major in connecting signal source to receivers and they do it in copper, fiber and Wi-Fi. They are in the business of connecting and protecting the flow of power, data, and signals. And they provide solutions for virtually every signal transmission to every signal reception, including sealing and protection, connectors, fiber optics, circuit protection, and precision wire and cable.
What really grabbed our attention was what we thought was gold plated circuit lines on plastic when in reality they were something else! It turned out that it was an etched pattern in composite material that is activated by laser. After etching, the signal paths are activated by laser which allow chemical plating to occur afterward, thus they have developed a way to plate plastic with metal conductors for items such as antennas, power connections, etc. without excessive heat. If you are trying to put an antenna on a plastic case this is the company to talk to. For more information contact Teresa Wilson tawilson@te.com for more information.

---

Rockwell

If the meeting with Rockwell/ARINC gave us anything it has become pretty obvious that the two companies are: a) working together well b) plotting new product strategy based on their existing products and services c) looking to the future with the synergies of the two companies can add value.
A good example was the product strategy for their next generation connectivty and wireless IFE, using ARINC Cabin Connect and PAVES Wireless. Here is what we note:
• Today both companies are evolving as one and working on fitting pieces of the aircraft environments together in the areas of: cabin, IFE, cockpit, and routers. Also, the ground infrastructure support and airport systems are involved.
• While the above intermarriages are broad in spectrum, the Rockwell/ARINC union is unique in its ability to do them all.
• The companies will always make a decision to buy or make the required hardware.
• Presently, this marriage is a good fit and everyone appears very happy about it and the broad effort in cabin and cockpit integration is proving beneficial.
• Make no mistake; Rockwell/ARINC is looking at moving non-critical data across the ground connectivity pipe and leveraging the value of that service.
• In actual fact, the marriage of the two companies completed the IFE&C puzzle and created a new business unit called Information Management Services.
• ARINC Cabin Connect (wireless aircraft environment) uses L-band today and Ka-band next year.
We were actually surprised at how comfortable the teams seamed working together and the nature of their two different services appear to be coming together very well. Stay tuned for some surprises, specifically in the area of new data services.

---

Kontron

The two new big products form Kontron are the ACE Flight 600 server and the Cab-n-Connect 802.11ac Wireless Access Point. And we note that last year’s server has been upgraded to the new ACE Flight 600 and the Cab-n-Connect 802.11n WAP has been upgraded to 802.11ac this year.

The new server features an Intel i7 processor, 4MCU and operates off of 115V AC (360-800 Hz), it has been qualified to DO-160G and also features 4G LTE (cell phone modem). We understand there is a 2 MCU version in the works. On the Wireless Access Point, Kontron has upgraded their Cab-n-Connect Wireless Access Point to 802.11ac (which means a/b/g/n standards), dual Wi-Fi radios 2.4 GHz & 5GHz – both supporting 3 spatial stream and 256 QAM modulation, can operate as a CWLU and TWLU, and has various antenna options. Contact Alan Manns for further information.

---

KID Systeme

The interesting thing about KID-Systeme is that they have gravitated from an inflight power company to a business that has diversified their offering to include inflight entertainment as well. The addition of SKYfi, their wireless inflight entertainment in conjunction with technology from Airborne Interactive for their systems interactive moving map dubbed SKYfi Geo has moved KID into the realm of IFE service provider. SKYfi offers a range of packages including GSM telephony and data, a high-end solution that provides full telephony and internet services, as well as streaming content to passenger PEDs via an App. The extremely lean system can be installed on virtually every commercial aircraft type and architecture. SKYfi is based on the trusted ALNA (Airline Network Architecture) connectivity platform, pioneered by Airbus and KID-Systeme in 2007 and widely deployed on more than 40 airlines around the world. Most recently, Cebu Pacific Air, the largest domestic airline in the Philippines, started a trial with the wireless IFE system. For more information contact Maren Muente.

---

GEE (Global Eagle Entertainment)

Perhaps the best place to start is GEE’s own website: “Through our combined content, distribution and technology platforms, Global Eagle provides airlines and the millions of travelers they serve with the industry’s most complete offering of in-flight entertainment programming, Internet connectivity, and related services. Our Connected Solutions division utilizes Ku-band satellite technology to provide airline passengers with Internet access, live television, shopping and travel-related information, while our Travel Related Solutions division provides film and television content, games and applications to more than 130 airlines worldwide.” Obviously, GEE is definitely a content and connectivity company. Formerly known as Global Eagle Enterprises, the company wants to build relationships with airlines so that they can provide content and/or hardware through their connectivity portal. There are four arms to GEE: content, software development, connectivity hardware, and sponsorship. GEE is looking to maximize the connectivity via digital media. An example of this is Digital Studio from Delta. GEE also offers WISE, which is a media content portal that is platform agnostic. And agnostic is important! Current partners for WISE include: OnAir, Rockwell Collins, KID-Systeme, BAE Aerosystems and Honeywell. Importantly, GEE sees digital media solutions as a huge area of potential growth and sees themselves assisting airlines and other venders with economies of scale. (Editor’s Note: What is really happening here is that GEE is becoming a full service provider like Panasonic and Thales – at least for connectivity and content. The other members of their team fulfill the requirements that they need but do not have within their control i.e. seatback screens. It will be interesting to watch GEE’s development in the coming years. Also with their content company acquisitions they have secured and are driving the content market as #1.)

---

PressReader

PressReader is one of the most interesting and useful products we have seen for the airport and IFE space and, it is available to use off-line…not to mention, extremely ‘green’. Here is an intro from their sales brochure – “PressReader is the global standard in all-you-can-read newspapers and magazines. Now you can provide complimentary access to over 3,000 newspapers and magazines from around the world to your travelers – all on their own laptops tablets and smartphones. Titles are available in 60+ languages from 100+ countries around the world. No new equipment or maintenance required.” You can get your own account for $29.95 per month, airports can develop a hotspot to provide reading material, and of course airlines can provide the service to stream content to their passengers in airport lounges as well as onboard. This solution has to save gas, labor, time, and energy/waste. If you want to try it out go to PressReader. No App is required if the airline or airport want to provide the service and we understand that PressReader Offline can be customized for seat-back systems. How else can you provide this many magazines to your customers with zero set-up and maintenance. Not to mention there is an ancillary revenue opportunity and, we understand that sponsored messaging is available. Additionally, the service can operate on all your devices: computer, laptop, tablet, smartphone, and eReader. For more information contact Darcy Sara  (IFExpress Update: Wow! This product is incredible, we tested it online and cannot say enough about the amount of available newspapers and magazines!)

---

Phitek

Quite by luck, IFExpress “won” a set of Phitek headphones in a blind drawing and we were so impressed with the product, we had to pass along our observations.

Firstly, the Active Noise cancellation was not turned on when we did our first audio test and turned on the audio source.. and you guessed it, they worked quite well with a slight high frequency attenuation. We note the mechanical sound isolation was good, with some low frequency leakage while using background noise/music for testing. And, we should also mention that the mechanical height adjustment and padding were first class and very comfortable. The single AAA battery is accesses easily by rotating the outer ring on the cup itself, and when turned on, delivered good presence, with a slight preponderance of bass. We also understand that they also have an earphone tester and we note that their catalog is so well designed that it should win an award! No price was given but they have a very customer friendly product that airlines need to look at… and hear.

---

Other Notes:

B787 ANA – An Anonymous traveler wrote this to IFExpress and we thought you would find it interesting: “The ANA Dreamliner 787 is the most comfortable economy class airline I’ve ever flown on. The 10 hour flight seemed amazingly fast what with the extra legroom, and bank of electronics on the seat back in front of us. Along with a large screen, there were power hookups for phones and computers to keep them charged. There were a dozen or more free movies and television shows and games and music. And the food for both meals was very good. Once again, I didn’t sleep even with the Ambien. On the other hand, because of the comfortable ride, it didn’t bother me. Not that I experienced them at first hand, but the first class seats were pretty amazing in that each was it’s own little cubicle with chair, desk and area in front of the passenger’s feet that turned into a bed when the seat folded down flat. Luxury.”

An APEX exhibitor wrote to IFExpress after visiting another conference noting: “Selected airlines are actually designing their own seats (and patenting them) to address enhanced space and comfort for the passenger, while INCREASING the number of seat on-board. The changes to seating have an impact on future embedded IFE, and a rethinking of the fundamental architecture.”

Congratulations to Paul Burke at Telefonix, they are celebrating their 25th anniversary!

Thank you to AT&T and Stuart Dunleavy, Executive Director of Marketing – In-Flight Connectivity at AT&T for a great function at The House of Blues (Hmm, Isn’t the AT&T logo blue?!).