SES Satellite has secured an agreement to provide satellite connectivity to 18 Finnair aircraft, partnering with Eutelsat to deliver multi-orbit broadband services through geosynchronous (GEO) and low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites.
Under the agreement, Finnair will use SES’ electronically steered array antenna to access GEO connectivity provided by SES and LEO connectivity through Eutelsat’s OneWeb satellite constellation.
The arrangement is expected to provide passengers with a home-like broadband experience, as airlines increasingly integrate in-flight Wi-Fi into their travel services.
Simon Large, Chief Customer Officer at Finnair, said connectivity was becoming an increasingly important part of the overall travel experience, expressing confidence that the agreement would deliver a home-like broadband experience for passengers.
Blane Boynton, Senior Vice-President of Aviation at SES, said access to Wi-Fi had become a core part of the travel experience.
He explained that combining GEO and LEO satellite services would provide airlines with the reliability, performance and flexibility required for in-flight connectivity.
The agreement also strengthens Eutelsat’s position in the aviation connectivity market, where the company said it already had more than 10 existing arrangements.
Eutelsat said the airline sector was proving to be a lucrative market for its OneWeb LEO satellite services, with further agreements expected.
Thierry Polycarpe, Vice-President of Aviation and Maritime at Eutelsat, highlighted the high data rates and low latency delivered by the OneWeb constellation.
He described the Finnair agreement as further evidence of the value OneWeb brings to in-flight connectivity.
The first Finnair aircraft to receive connectivity under the arrangement is expected to enter service in 2027.
