French satellite operator Eutelsat has announced the launch of its OneWeb low Earth orbit (LEO) connectivity services for the aviation sector, marking a step in enhancing in-flight connectivity with high-speed, low latency services.
The company has completed over 100 certified antenna installations, with the first commercial and business aircraft now utilising Eutelsat’s LEO services.
Go deeper with GlobalData
The expansion into LEO services complements Eutelsat’s established geostationary (GEO) aviation offerings.
In collaboration with Intelsat, Hughes, and Panasonic Avionics, Eutelsat aims to provide comprehensive multi-orbit solutions to commercial airlines.
Air Canada has become the first to adopt the GEO/LEO service through Intelsat, with other prominent carriers also commencing installations and flights featuring the advanced multi-orbit solutions.
Eutelsat has forged a partnership with Gogo in business aviation to equip the first Embraer Phenom 300 with LEO services.
Additionally, Textron is set to install these solutions on various models including the Cessna Citation Longitude, Latitude, and Ascend, as well as on all Airbus Corporate Jets (ACJ) types.
Eutelsat stated that its aviation services have a backlog of more than 1,000 aircraft pending installation.
Eutelsat connectivity business unit president Cyril Dujardin said: “Eutelsat’s LEO aviation services, powered by the OneWeb constellation, provide high speed, low latency, and premium performance to meet the evolving connectivity needs of airlines and business jets globally.
“With a robust backlog and expanding reach across both commercial and business aviation, we are confident in the long-term growth of our aviation services.”
Eutelsat Group has been delivering a wide range of connectivity and broadcast services across the globe.
The group’s formation in 2023 through the merger with OneWeb established it as the first fully integrated GEO-LEO satellite operator.
The company’s fleet includes 35 geostationary satellites and a LEO constellation of more than 600 satellites.
In 2021, Eutelsat contracted Airbus to develop the EUTELSAT 36D, a multi-mission geostationary satellite with 70 Ku-band transponders, five downlink beams, and a steerable antenna.
