Smart in-flight connectivity solutions company SkyFive is joining forces with Lufthansa Technik to scale up its delivery capabilities for cost-effective Air-to-Ground (A2G) broadband services for commercial airlines.
Lufthansa Technik will be employing its design and production organisation to design, certify and manufacture installation kits which enable SkyFive’s commercial airline customers a quick and easy upgrade of their narrowbody fleets with fast A2G onboard connectivity.
A2G technology connects the aircraft and its passengers via ground stations of dedicated mobile networks and requires a comparatively small installation form factor, with the lower-fuselage-mounted antenna only measuring about the size of a human hand.
The companies say that to meet the soaring demand, A2G installations require scalable and industrialised delivery capabilities. SkyFive has opted to partner with Lufthansa Technik which has a worldwide presence at major aviation hubs, aligning well with SkyFive’s target markets for A2G. Lufthansa Technik also already holds a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) for A2G setups. “SkyFive is thrilled to cooperate with such a strong industry player on our journey of taking A2G global,” said Alois Sanktjohanser, Vice President Sales and Partner Management at SkyFive.
“This new partnership significantly scales up our delivery capability towards airlines.”
Andrew Muirhead, Vice President OEM and Engineering Services at Lufthansa Technik commented: “Efficient inflight connectivity is among the top desires of airline passengers nowadays. Hence, the necessity for reliable and fast, but also easy-to-install connectivity solutions is growing steadily.”
“We are thus happy to support SkyFive to meet the soaring demand. With our renowned expertise in Supplemental Type Certification for connectivity installations, we are able to provide our valued partner a fast time-to-market. With proven solutions for both satellite and A2G connectivity, we can bring almost any commercial aircraft cabin online now.”
