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| Airbus A320-200 OH-LXF of Finnair in Rome Fiumicino Airport, Italy. Photo: Wikimedia Commons |
[Avionics Magazine 09-01-2016] Finnair has announced it has signed an agreement with ViaSat to install a high-speed wireless Internet network across the airline’s entire Airbus A320 series short-haul fleet flying in Europe. Meanwhile, EL AL Israel Airlines is currently in customer trials and is expected to enter full retail service before the end of the 2016 calendar year.
ViaSat is the prime contractor to the airlines, making available its vertically integrated in-flight internet system, inclusive of providing Supplemental Type Certificates (STCs), wireless IFE system support, passenger-facing access portals, and an end-to-end service that will leverage connectivity from ViaSat’s partner, Eutelsat. The connectivity service uses Ka-Sat, Eutelsat’s high-capacity Ka-band broadband satellite whose service area spans Europe and the Mediterranean Basin.