Airbus has chosen in-flight entertainment and connectivity systems company Panasonic Avionics as a managed service provider (MSP) for its Airspace Link HBCplus (HBCplus) Ku solution.
Panasonic Avionics says this firms-up an earlier MoU phase revealed at Aircraft Interiors Expo in June and as an MSP for HBCplus, the company will be able to seamlessly integrate its multi-orbit connectivity service onto Airbus aircraft using an electronically steered antenna with a multi-beam operation that can simultaneously access Panasonic Avionics’ LEO and GEO networks.
John Wade, Vice President of Panasonic Avionics’ In-flight Connectivity Business Unit, said: “HBCplus aligns perfectly with our multi-orbit strategy and will seamlessly integrate with our LEO and GEO connectivity solutions. We understand the needs of airlines and OEMs alike. By offering HBCplus we are providing airlines with a greater choice of connectivity services, and ultimately enhancing the passenger experience.”
Maximilian Ruecker, VP Cabin Procurement Seats, IFE and Electronics at Airbus, said: “Airbus’ vision is to make state of the art IFC technology available to its customers while offering the best choice of connectivity providers. As such we are pleased to be able to include Panasonic Avionics as a player in this programme. We are looking forward to continuing to enrich this cooperation.”
Panasonic Avionics announced a partnership with LEO satellite company OneWeb last year to globally market, sell and support its high-speed, low-latency LEO in-flight broadband services to commercial airlines. Panasonic Avionics is the first OneWeb partner to make its connectivity available through HBCplus and the company now offers OneWeb’s global service stand-alone or paired with Panasonic Avionics’ GEO service covering 99.6% of the world’s flight routes.
