Airbus, Delta, OneWeb, Sprint, and Bharti Airtel (Airtel) have combined resources to create the Seamless Air Alliance (SAA), which is intended to kick-start a new era of innovation for airlines on a global basis.
Using satellite technology, mobile operators who are members of the alliance will be able to extend their services to airline cabins, providing high-speed, low-latency connectivity at normal speeds from the ground to the air, and back again. The result should be a significant reduction in cost for all involved, while at the same time creating a smooth and positive user experience.
The new alliance is aiming to attract further industry operators which will further help to eliminate costs that would normally be associated with acquisition, installation, and operation of data access infrastructure. According to a press release issued by SAA, this can be achieved by streamlining system integration and certification, providing open specifications for interoperability, increasing accessibility for passengers, and enabling simple and integrated billing.
“What if the best internet you ever experienced was in the air? Keeping this goal in mind, together, we will enable an affordable and frictionless experience for passengers everywhere,” said Greg Wyler, Founder and Executive Chairman of OneWeb. “With the launch of our first production satellites set for later this year, we’re one step closer to bridging the global Digital Divide on land and in the air.”
“Easy-to-use, high-speed connectivity is part of the next revolution in aerospace,” said Marc Fontaine, Airbus Digital Transformation Officer. “We’re excited to create this seamless experience for our airline customers and their passengers. As we showed with our Skywise aviation data platform, Airbus is committed to innovation that creates value across the aviation industry.”
