APEX Editor's Blog

Companies seeking certification of Ku- and Ka-band satellite-supported inflight connectivity systems can expect closer scrutiny of their proposals from the US FAA, which says it wants to ensure proper adherence to bird strike rules for antenna radomes on aircraft. In a statement to the APEX editor’s blog, the FAA confirms that it recently became aware [...]

JetBlue is examining its options for new devices to improve the efficiency of collecting payments in-flight. “We are looking to roll-out a next generation device for our flight crew members,” company director of product development Jamie Perry said last week at AIX 2013 in Hamburg. “We use a relatively simple payment device today and it [...]

JetBlue took an opportunity during its recent analyst day to reveal the brand name of its highly anticipated Ka-band-powered Wi-Fi offering, which will be known as Fly-Fi by Exede. With the first quarter drawing to a close, JetBlue appears to be missing its target of debuting in-flight connectivity during early 2013. Originally, the carrier aimed [...]

JetBlue’s first flight from JFK to Fort Lauderdale 13 years ago made its debut during a drastically different era in the airline business before the likes of terrorist attacks, spiking oil prices and the SARS and H1N1 pandemics wiped out airline profitability for the better part of the last decade. The carrier whose brand was [...]

As JetBlue Airways gears up to begin offering free inflight high-speed Internet to passengers, the carrier’s LiveTV subsidiary is setting its sights on expanding its portfolio of airline customers in Europe. Teamed with satellite operator ViaSat in the United States, LiveTV has been working to bring Ka-band satellite-supported connectivity to JetBlue’s Airbus A320s and Embraer [...]

What a year it has been for our industry. Eager to meet the needs of their ever mobile, ever vocal, ever social passengers, airlines in 2012 ploughed full stream ahead to modify their aircraft with new inflight entertainment and connectivity systems, full-flat business-class seats, and premium economy cabins, which enable weary road warriors to stretch [...]

Qualcomm’s hopes of establishing a next generation air-ground mobile service in the United States to support “multi-gigabit per second” broadband connectivity to aircraft has run into staunch opposition from myriad stakeholders, including Boeing and the Satellite Industry Association. This, in turn, has opened up fresh questions about how inflight Wi-Fi provider Gogo might keep pace [...]

Canada’s WestJet is moving meticulously forward one step at a time in finalising its plans for the evolution of its inflight entertainment platform, but says it intends to make a major move in 2013 when it will trial a prototype solution that could replace the seatback satellite television that has been a staple on the [...]

ViaSat is open to forging a partnership with Inmarsat to augment its regional, high-capacity Ka-band satellite service with the London-headquartered firm’s forthcoming Global Xpress Ka service to further strengthen its inflight connectivity offering for airlines. “I think we’d always be open to a partnership with Inmarsat. I think it’s a really good solution, benefiting their [...]

First time at a convention? Check. First time conducting in-person interviews as a journalist? Check. First time to stumble into an exclusive story, while flying for the first time in a Grumman HU-16 Albatross seaplane? Um, check and check! These are just some of the things I can cross off my bucket list after attending [...]