Intelsat Inflight Connectivity Expanded to All Airbus Aircraft

September 19, 2023

Intelsat announced that its multi-orbit network offerings, relying on LEO and GEO satellites, will be available to airlines and aircraft lessors through Airbus’ Airspace Link (HBCplus) solution. Intelsat will be the largest service provider in the manufacturer’s flexible IFC service catalogue.

“Understanding that no airline is like any other, Intelsat has long offered flexibility and choice to its customers, including fit-for-purpose equipment options, and a variety of business models and passenger service offerings,” said Dave Bijur, Intelsat’s Senior Vice President of Commercial Aviation. “With Airbus, we are offering a new level of sophistication and flexibility that leverages the high throughput of GEO satellites with the low latency delivered by LEO satellites.”

Starting with aircraft deliveries targeting the first half of 2026, airlines may select Airbus’ Ku-band ESA terminal, which is designed for simultaneous connections to Intelsat’s GEO network and LEO networks, like OneWeb. This data routing plan will deliver premium IFC service with an unmatched global level of resilience, low-latency and high throughput that is unique to Intelsat. As part of the agreement, Airbus will manage the HBCplus system installation in line and retrofit, as well as the related in-service support.

“The new blended multi-orbit IFC service is testament to the successful cooperation between the Airbus and Intelsat teams to develop joint solutions in response to customer demands,” said Maximilian Ruecker, VP Cabin Procurement Seats, IFE and Electronics. “Intelsat’s innovative use of GEO and LEO satellites to seamlessly offer a blended multi-orbit solution fits the disruptive nature of the Airspace Link open ecosystem.”