Neo Space Group (NSG) and Saudi Arabia’s national flag carrier Saudia have announced the first line-fit activation of NSG Skywaves in-flight connectivity on board Saudia’s Airbus A321XLR aircraft.
The strategic partnership between Saudia and NSG demonstrates how Saudi Arabia’s aviation and space sectors are working together to support the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 ambitions. Tarek El Mitwalli, Executive Vice President of Aviation at PIF company Neo Space Group, commented: “This milestone reflects the convergence of aviation, space, and digital infrastructure.
“Activating NSG Skywaves on Saudia’s inaugural Airbus A321XLR demonstrates how sovereign space capabilities can be translated into real-world operational services that enhance airline performance and passenger connectivity alike. Together with Saudia and our broader ecosystem of partners, we are helping shape a more connected, resilient, and digitally enabled future for aviation.”
The connectivity service is powered by NSG Skywaves, leveraging the SES Open Orbits multi-orbit network. It combines GEO and MEO satellite capabilities to deliver resilient, low-latency connectivity across key international flight corridors.
NSG’s engineering and operations teams have demonstrated onboard speeds up to 200 Mbps per aircraft that support seamless digital experiences across streaming, messaging, browsing, and other high-demand passenger applications.
The companies say this activation also demonstrates the successful integration of the Airbus HBCplus line-fit solution and reflects close collaboration between NSG, Saudia, Airbus, SES, RAVE and other key industry partners to deliver a seamless connectivity experience from aircraft entry into service.
Rossen Dimitrov, Chief Guest Experience Officer at Saudia, said: “Connectivity is an essential part of modern travel, and providing high-speed internet on our new A321XLR is a key element of the new Saudia experience. It enables our guests to stay connected, remain entertained, and enjoy a more engaging and seamless onboard journey. It also enables a new generation of connected onboard experiences, allowing guests to enjoy live television and real-time content in ways that were previously not possible, bringing the journey closer than ever to the world beyond the aircraft.”
