CSAT employees completed the cabin modification and connectivity installation on a total of 24 Finnair aircraft in Hangar F at Václav Havel Airport Prague. As a result, all aircraft have a new cabin configuration and layout and Finnair customers can access internet and Finnair’s complimentary onboard Nordic Sky Portal during the flight. This was the industry’s first connectivity retrofit with the aircraft manufacturer, Airbus.
During the work performed in Prague, the aircraft underwent a modification of the cabin, called ‘Spaceflex’, consisting of the cabin reconstruction, increasing the number of passenger seats, and replacement of the galleys and lavatories. At the same time, CSAT workers had to reinforce the fuselage to install the satellite antenna and its cover on top of the fuselage and distribute cables throughout the aircraft, including the cockpit and passenger cabin.
Subsequently, a wireless internet connection was launched and tested on board the aircraft. During the flight, the antenna on the fuselage receives a signal from the satellite, which is distributed to passengers’ electronic devices via Wi-Fi access points located in several places around the cabin.