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PR: Despite Pandemic, IFC Terminal Installed Base in Business Aviation to Reach 32,000 by 2029

August 13, 2020 13:00 British Summer Time (BST)

London. A new report predicts strong take-up of in-flight connectivity (IFC) systems on business aircraft over the next ten years. According to Valour Consultancy, an award-winning provider of market intelligence services, the number of IFC terminals installed on business jets will rise to almost 32,000 in 2029 – up from 20,689 at the end of 2019.

The report – “The Market for IFEC and CMS on VVIP and Business Aircraft” – predicts a sharp drop-off in installation activity in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic but sees the market picking up more quickly than commercial aviation. “Annual installations of IFC systems on business aircraft are set to fall by 28 per cent in 2020 compared to 2019 said report author, Craig Foster. “While 2021 will be another tough year, the launch of several new solutions will provide impetus. Deployments from SmartSky Networks, Iridium (with Certus) and SES/Collins Aerospace (LuxStream) are all expected to ramp up at this point in time. Intelsat and Satcom Direct will resume new installs for the FlexExec service too” he continued.

Foster also highlights how the market could benefit from current and ongoing airline capacity reductions and people looking less favourably on travelling through crowded airports and in cramped commercial aircraft cabins. “So-called health corridors are starting to emerge as increased interest in flying privately from those who haven’t previously done so acts as a catalyst of the recovery. Many fractional providers are reporting that recent months have seen record enquiries from new customers. We also expect to see more business jets being used by corporations to transport employees beyond the C-suite to protect them from COVID-19 and recent moves to create more flexible business models will help support these added users” said Foster.

The report also takes a look at the closely-related markets for in-flight entertainment (IFE) and cabin management systems (CMS). Due to the higher costs associated with installation of these systems and private aircraft owners and operators said to be prioritising IFC when pulling back on discretionary spend, the impact of the outbreak is expected to be more profound in 2020 and 2021. “While IFE/CMS vendors have been harder hit, the adoption of wireless in-flight entertainment (W-IFE) and full CMS functionality on smaller aircraft like small cabin jets and turboprops is expected to increase, expanding the total addressable market beyond the mid- to large-cabin aircraft that have long been the staple of the market” concluded Foster.

Valour Consultancy is a provider of high-quality market intelligence. Its latest report “The Market for IFEC and CMS on VVIP and Business Aircraft – 2020 Edition” is the newest addition to the firm’s highly-regarded aviation research portfolio. Developed with input from more than 30 companies across the value chain, the study includes 85 tables and charts along with extensive commentary on key market issues, technology trends and the competitive environment.

Contact: info@valourconsultancy.com

13 Aug 20
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A new report predicts strong take-up of in-flight connectivity (IFC) systems on business aircraft over the next ten years. According to Valour Consultancy, an award-winning provider of market intelligence services, the number of IFC terminals installed on business jets will rise to almost 32,000 in 2029 – up from 20,689 at the end of 2019. The report – “The Market for IFEC and CMS on VVIP and Business Aircraft” – predicts a sharp drop-off in installation activity in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic but sees the market picking up more quickly than commercial aviation. “Annual installations of IFC systems on business aircraft are set to fall by 28 per cent in 2020 compared to 2019 said report author, Craig Foster. “While 2021 will be another tough year, the launch of several new solutions will provide impetus. Deployments from SmartSky Networks, Iridium (with Certus) and SES/Collins Aerospace (LuxStream) are all expected to ramp up at this point in time. Intelsat and Satcom Direct will resume new installs for the FlexExec service too” he continued. Foster also highlights how the market could benefit from current and ongoing airline capacity reductions and people looking less favourably on travelling through crowded airports and in cramped commercial aircraft cabins. “So-called health corridors are starting to emerge as increased interest in flying privately from those who haven’t previously done so acts as a catalyst of the recovery. Many fractional providers are reporting that recent months have seen record enquiries from new customers. We also expect to see more business jets being used by corporations to transport employees beyond the C-suite to protect them from COVID-19 and recent moves to create more flexible business models will help support these added users” said Foster. The report also takes a look at the closely-related markets for in-flight entertainment (IFE) and cabin management systems (CMS). Due to the higher costs associated with installation of these systems and private aircraft owners and operators said to be prioritising IFC when pulling back on discretionary spend, the impact of the outbreak is expected to be more profound in 2020 and 2021. “While IFE/CMS vendors have been harder hit, the adoption of wireless in-flight entertainment (W-IFE) and full CMS functionality on smaller aircraft like small cabin jets and turboprops is expected to increase, expanding the total addressable market beyond the mid- to large-cabin aircraft that have long been the staple of the market” concluded Foster. Valour Consultancy is a provider of high-quality market intelligence. Its latest report “The Market for IFEC and CMS on VVIP and Business Aircraft – 2020 Edition” is the newest addition to the firm’s highly-regarded aviation research portfolio. Developed with input from more than 30 companies across the value chain, the study includes 85 tables and charts along with extensive commentary on key market issues, technology trends and the competitive environment. Contact: info@valourconsultancy.com [/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]
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2’s Company, 28’s a Crowd: Truth and Lies in Wireless IFE

With the world and his W-IFE now seemingly involved, keeping track of developments in this market is one that becomes more difficult with every passing quarter. At last count (Q1 2019), 25 service providers had installed their respective solutions on at least one aircraft, and more are entering the fray all the time. TEAC’s new portable solution, PortaStream, launched with IBEX Airlines on April 1st, Mythopoeia is currently rolling out its streaming platform on Rossiya and Atlas Air, while Phitek’s long-delayed deployment of Cabinstream boxes on the Afrijet ATR fleet is finally underway. So there will be at least 28 active vendors when we get round to crunching the numbers for Q2 and as we’ve covered before, plenty of candidates providing infotainment solutions in other transportation markets that may also decide they want a piece of the action.

Even so, the market is what the Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) would define as “moderately concentrated” – 1,693 being the total of each companies’ squared market share. In comparison, seatback IFE, which is dominated by Panasonic Avionics and Thales, has a HHI of 4,809, which is indicative of a highly concentrated marketplace. The reason for this is that the top five vendors – Gogo, Panasonic Avionics, Global Eagle, Viasat and Thales – collectively account for just over three-quarters of all aircraft with W-IFE. Each company owes their lofty position in the market share rankings primarily to their in-flight connectivity (IFC) heritage – W-IFE shares the same on-board architecture as IFC and can be bolted onto existing installations relatively easily.

Beyond this top five lies a clutch of vendors offering W-IFE solutions with no connectivity element of their own, although several have partnered with IFC providers to combine the two services. Only five of these companies have equipped more than 100 aircraft with W-IFE; Lufthansa Systems, AirFi, Safran (Zii), Immfly and Bluebox Aviation Systems. And contrary to the incredible number of competing W-IFE studies being pumped out on a near daily basis (see exhibits A, B and C), BAE systems are not active in the market and haven’t been for some time, while Bluebox Avionics became Bluebox Aviation Systems more than two years ago. Just remember folks, not all market intelligence firms were created equal. Some of us spend hours conducting real, primary research ?

The influx of vendors certainly makes sense when you consider the apparent advantages of W-IFE – less costly systems, reduced weight/fuel burn, rapid installation (in the case of portable W-IFE), lower maintenance costs, an abundance of PEDs being brought on board, a large untapped single-aisle market, the potential to generate ancillary revenues etc. But eight years after wireless streaming first came to the fore, there are problems still to be ironed out.

Chief amongst them is the apparent frustration passengers experience when dealing with app-based DRM. Whether it be confusion that on-board Wi-Fi is not necessarily the same as Wi-Fi that opens the door to the world wide web, an inability to download an app in a disconnected environment, or issues with compatibility across different mobile operating systems, it would seem that the move away from app-based DRM can’t come soon enough. For service providers, app-based DRM is undesirable for several reasons. Not only do passengers often forget to download W-IFE applications ahead of their journey, evidence is stacking up to suggest there’s a ceiling on the number of apps they are willing to download and use. And of course, apps create additional costs every time an update to an operating system is rolled out.

Another issue is the lack of in-seat power on the majority of single-aisle aircraft – the key target market for W-IFE vendors. According to our latest study, about 20% of single-aisle seats have an in-seat power outlet, compared to about 75% of available seats on twin-aisle aircraft. With no access to on-board power, there is every chance passengers won’t use W-IFE and instead, opt to preserve precious charge for when they land. Thankfully, departmental siloes that have prevented these two amenities from being deployed at the same time are showing signs of breaking down.

The question remains whether the market can sustain nigh-on 30 different vendors. It’s one thing putting together impressive looking demo solutions inexpensively. However, ensuring these solutions satisfy Hollywood studios, demonstrating PCI compliance and getting installations done under STC are all difficult, time consuming and expensive. That’s without taking into account the difficulties in facing off against established IFE players who carry more clout when it comes to getting their solutions approved for the line-fit market and who can often draw upon expansive R&D budgets of parent companies, as well as the ability to offer truly global after sales services.

Consolidation seems inevitable and it would be foolish to assume others won’t go the way of Storebox Inflight, Ocleen TV, BAE Systems and PaxLife, all of which entered and exited the market in a relatively small space of time.

As part of our aviation portfolio, and to supplement our in-depth annual deep dive into the in-flight entertainment market, Valour Consultancy delivers a quarterly tracker designed to keep those with an interest in the area updated on W-IFE installation activity and key trends. Unlike other quarterly trackers, the W-IFE tracker is extremely rich in data with various splits including airline, product type, aircraft type, sub fleet, fitment type, geographic region, connectivity and service provider and hardware partners. Its updated with input from service providers and airlines and is a must-have resource for anyone looking for an accurate and up-to-date understanding of the market.

11 Jul 19
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With the world and his W-IFE now seemingly involved, keeping track of developments in this market is one that becomes more difficult with every passing quarter. At last count (Q1 2019), 25 service providers had installed their respective solutions on at least one aircraft, and more are entering the fray all the time. TEAC’s new portable solution, PortaStream, launched with IBEX Airlines on April 1st, Mythopoeia is currently rolling out its streaming platform on Rossiya and Atlas Air, while Phitek’s long-delayed deployment of Cabinstream boxes on the Afrijet ATR fleet is finally underway. So there will be at least 28 active vendors when we get round to crunching the numbers for Q2 and as we’ve covered before, plenty of candidates providing infotainment solutions in other transportation markets that may also decide they want a piece of the action. Even so, the market is what the Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) would define as “moderately concentrated” – 1,693 being the total of each companies’ squared market share. In comparison, seatback IFE, which is dominated by Panasonic Avionics and Thales, has a HHI of 4,809, which is indicative of a highly concentrated marketplace. The reason for this is that the top five vendors – Gogo, Panasonic Avionics, Global Eagle, Viasat and Thales – collectively account for just over three-quarters of all aircraft with W-IFE. Each company owes their lofty position in the market share rankings primarily to their in-flight connectivity (IFC) heritage – W-IFE shares the same on-board architecture as IFC and can be bolted onto existing installations relatively easily. Beyond this top five lies a clutch of vendors offering W-IFE solutions with no connectivity element of their own, although several have partnered with IFC providers to combine the two services. Only five of these companies have equipped more than 100 aircraft with W-IFE; Lufthansa Systems, AirFi, Safran (Zii), Immfly and Bluebox Aviation Systems. And contrary to the incredible number of competing W-IFE studies being pumped out on a near daily basis (see exhibits A, B and C), BAE systems are not active in the market and haven’t been for some time, while Bluebox Avionics became Bluebox Aviation Systems more than two years ago. Just remember folks, not all market intelligence firms were created equal. Some of us spend hours conducting real, primary research ? The influx of vendors certainly makes sense when you consider the apparent advantages of W-IFE – less costly systems, reduced weight/fuel burn, rapid installation (in the case of portable W-IFE), lower maintenance costs, an abundance of PEDs being brought on board, a large untapped single-aisle market, the potential to generate ancillary revenues etc. But eight years after wireless streaming first came to the fore, there are problems still to be ironed out. Chief amongst them is the apparent frustration passengers experience when dealing with app-based DRM. Whether it be confusion that on-board Wi-Fi is not necessarily the same as Wi-Fi that opens the door to the world wide web, an inability to download an app in a disconnected environment, or issues with compatibility across different mobile operating systems, it would seem that the move away from app-based DRM can’t come soon enough. For service providers, app-based DRM is undesirable for several reasons. Not only do passengers often forget to download W-IFE applications ahead of their journey, evidence is stacking up to suggest there’s a ceiling on the number of apps they are willing to download and use. And of course, apps create additional costs every time an update to an operating system is rolled out. Another issue is the lack of in-seat power on the majority of single-aisle aircraft – the key target market for W-IFE vendors. According to our latest study, about 20% of single-aisle seats have an in-seat power outlet, compared to about 75% of available seats on twin-aisle aircraft. With no access to on-board power, there is every chance passengers won’t use W-IFE and instead, opt to preserve precious charge for when they land. Thankfully, departmental siloes that have prevented these two amenities from being deployed at the same time are showing signs of breaking down. The question remains whether the market can sustain nigh-on 30 different vendors. It’s one thing putting together impressive looking demo solutions inexpensively. However, ensuring these solutions satisfy Hollywood studios, demonstrating PCI compliance and getting installations done under STC are all difficult, time consuming and expensive. That’s without taking into account the difficulties in facing off against established IFE players who carry more clout when it comes to getting their solutions approved for the line-fit market and who can often draw upon expansive R&D budgets of parent companies, as well as the ability to offer truly global after sales services. Consolidation seems inevitable and it would be foolish to assume others won’t go the way of Storebox Inflight, Ocleen TV, BAE Systems and PaxLife, all of which entered and exited the market in a relatively small space of time. As part of our aviation portfolio, and to supplement our in-depth annual deep dive into the in-flight entertainment market, Valour Consultancy delivers a quarterly tracker designed to keep those with an interest in the area updated on W-IFE installation activity and key trends. Unlike other quarterly trackers, the W-IFE tracker is extremely rich in data with various splits including airline, product type, aircraft type, sub fleet, fitment type, geographic region, connectivity and service provider and hardware partners. Its updated with input from service providers and airlines and is a must-have resource for anyone looking for an accurate and up-to-date understanding of the market.
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Press Release: Huge New Opportunities for Aircraft Seatmakers and In-Seat Power Vendors – Valour Consultancy

June 19, 2019 14:30 British Summer Time (BST)

London. A new two-part report from Valour Consultancy predicts strong growth in the aircraft seating and in-seat power markets over the next ten years. The market intelligence firm’s latest data reveals that the commercial aircraft seating market will be worth $4.9 billion in 2028 – up from $3.8 billion in 2018. The proportion of total in-service seats with in-seat power, meanwhile, is set to increase from about 38% to 66% over the same timeframe.

Both markets are set to become markedly more competitive over the next few years according to report author, Craig Foster. “Today, the aircraft seating market is an oligopoly dominated by three companies – Safran Seats, Collins Aerospace and Recaro Aircraft Seating, which together, account for about three-quarters of annual revenues. However, with aircraft OEMs now more open to adding new products into previously impenetrable airframer catalogues and a series of well-documented delays to seat deliveries caused by engineering, supply chain and certification issues, barriers to entry have come down significantly. As a result, a clutch of new players are seeking to chip away at the dominance of the big three.”

“And with airlines keen to avoid their passengers falling victim to so-called ‘low-battery anxiety’ and continued growth in the adoption of in-flight connectivity and wireless in-flight entertainment, the retrofit opportunity for in-seat power – especially in the largely untapped single-aisle segment – will represent an increasingly fierce battleground going forward. 2018 saw Astronics and KID-Systeme generate a combined 98% of total revenues with six or seven companies fighting over the remainder. But with the likes of IMAGIK, Burrana and Inflight Canada all winning sizeable contracts recently, concentration of power is set to shift” continued Foster.

A blurring of the lines between categories as the industry moves away from four clearly-defined cabin classes (economy, premium economy, business class and first class) is also creating opportunities. “Super first class is emerging and mini-rooms, rather than seats, are seen to represent the ultimate in comfort and a way to differentiate top-tier service from an ever-improving business class where suites with sliding privacy doors are becoming more commonplace. Furthermore, premium economy and fully flat business class beds with direct aisle access on single-aisle aircraft will become increasingly important as longer-range narrow-bodies like the new A321XLR and 737 MAX are deployed more frequently. The likely knock-on effect is increased demand for multiple in-seat power options in these more premium cabins” Foster concluded.

Valour Consultancy is a provider of high-quality market intelligence. Its latest report “The Future of Aircraft Seating and In-Seat Power” is the newest addition to the firm’s well-regarded aviation research portfolio. Developed with input from more than 30 companies across the value chain, the study includes 93 tables and charts along with extensive commentary on key market issues, technology trends and the competitive environment. For a full table of contents and report scope, visit: http://217.199.187.200/valourconsultancy.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/The-Future-of-Aircraft-Seating-and-In-Seat-Power-2019-Brochure.pdf

19 Jun 19
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[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent="no" equal_height_columns="no" menu_anchor="" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" class="" id="" background_color="" background_image="" background_position="center center" background_repeat="no-repeat" fade="no" background_parallax="none" parallax_speed="0.3" video_mp4="" video_webm="" video_ogv="" video_url="" video_aspect_ratio="16:9" video_loop="yes" video_mute="yes" overlay_color="" video_preview_image="" border_size="" border_color="" border_style="solid" padding_top="" padding_bottom="" padding_left="" padding_right=""][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type="1_1" layout="1_1" background_position="left top" background_color="" border_size="" border_color="" border_style="solid" border_position="all" spacing="yes" background_image="" background_repeat="no-repeat" padding_top="" padding_right="" padding_bottom="" padding_left="" margin_top="0px" margin_bottom="0px" class="" id="" animation_type="" animation_speed="0.3" animation_direction="left" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" center_content="no" last="no" min_height="" hover_type="none" link=""][fusion_imageframe image_id="4805|full" max_width="" style_type="" blur="" stylecolor="" hover_type="none" bordersize="" bordercolor="" borderradius="" align="left" lightbox="no" gallery_id="" lightbox_image="" lightbox_image_id="" alt="" link="" linktarget="_self" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" class="" id="" animation_type="" animation_direction="left" animation_speed="0.3" animation_offset=""]http://217.199.187.200/valourconsultancy.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/business-1031754_1920-1.jpg[/fusion_imageframe][fusion_text] June 19, 2019 14:30 British Summer Time (BST) London. A new two-part report from Valour Consultancy predicts strong growth in the aircraft seating and in-seat power markets over the next ten years. The market intelligence firm’s latest data reveals that the commercial aircraft seating market will be worth $4.9 billion in 2028 – up from $3.8 billion in 2018. The proportion of total in-service seats with in-seat power, meanwhile, is set to increase from about 38% to 66% over the same timeframe. Both markets are set to become markedly more competitive over the next few years according to report author, Craig Foster. “Today, the aircraft seating market is an oligopoly dominated by three companies – Safran Seats, Collins Aerospace and Recaro Aircraft Seating, which together, account for about three-quarters of annual revenues. However, with aircraft OEMs now more open to adding new products into previously impenetrable airframer catalogues and a series of well-documented delays to seat deliveries caused by engineering, supply chain and certification issues, barriers to entry have come down significantly. As a result, a clutch of new players are seeking to chip away at the dominance of the big three.” “And with airlines keen to avoid their passengers falling victim to so-called ‘low-battery anxiety’ and continued growth in the adoption of in-flight connectivity and wireless in-flight entertainment, the retrofit opportunity for in-seat power – especially in the largely untapped single-aisle segment – will represent an increasingly fierce battleground going forward. 2018 saw Astronics and KID-Systeme generate a combined 98% of total revenues with six or seven companies fighting over the remainder. But with the likes of IMAGIK, Burrana and Inflight Canada all winning sizeable contracts recently, concentration of power is set to shift” continued Foster. A blurring of the lines between categories as the industry moves away from four clearly-defined cabin classes (economy, premium economy, business class and first class) is also creating opportunities. “Super first class is emerging and mini-rooms, rather than seats, are seen to represent the ultimate in comfort and a way to differentiate top-tier service from an ever-improving business class where suites with sliding privacy doors are becoming more commonplace. Furthermore, premium economy and fully flat business class beds with direct aisle access on single-aisle aircraft will become increasingly important as longer-range narrow-bodies like the new A321XLR and 737 MAX are deployed more frequently. The likely knock-on effect is increased demand for multiple in-seat power options in these more premium cabins” Foster concluded. Valour Consultancy is a provider of high-quality market intelligence. Its latest report “The Future of Aircraft Seating and In-Seat Power” is the newest addition to the firm’s well-regarded aviation research portfolio. Developed with input from more than 30 companies across the value chain, the study includes 93 tables and charts along with extensive commentary on key market issues, technology trends and the competitive environment. For a full table of contents and report scope, visit: http://217.199.187.200/valourconsultancy.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/The-Future-of-Aircraft-Seating-and-In-Seat-Power-2019-Brochure.pdf [/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]
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What’s Going on in the World of Wireless In-Flight Entertainment?

Last month, Valour Consultancy published its long-awaited report “The Future of In-Flight Entertainment – 2017”, which covers the prospects for four types of in-flight entertainment (IFE) product: embedded IFE, wireless IFE (W-IFE), overhead IFE and portable units. In this blog, we zero in on the W-IFE market and share some insight into its present state, likely future development and how the competitive landscape is shaping up.

By the end of 2017, the installed base of W-IFE will stand at just over 6,000 aircraft. Drilling down into this top-level number reveals some interesting trends:

  • About 80% of W-IFE-equipped aircraft also offer full off-board connectivity.
  • North America still dominates the W-IFE landscape, but penetration elsewhere is growing – particularly in Western Europe, and Central and South America.
  • At the end of 2017, single-aisle aircraft will account for almost 90% of the installed base.
  • W-IFE line-fitments are a rare commodity – just 60 aircraft had systems installed at the factory in 2017.
  • Portable W-IFE continues to confound the doubters and the number of companies offering this kind of solution keeps on growing.

Internet-enabled W-IFE

In the early days of W-IFE, most installations were on aircraft already equipped with in-flight connectivity (IFC). Global Eagle and Gogo have the largest share of the current W-IFE installed base mainly because they have been able to easily add their respective solutions to existing IFC deployments that utilise the same in-cabin architecture. Combining IFC and W-IFE is almost a no-brainer for airlines as it results in little disruption and has the potential to generate additional ancillary revenues, while at the same time, reducing the strain on sometimes overburdened networks.

In 2015, however, we started to see the emergence of vendors eager to attract those operators not yet convinced by the economics of IFC offering solutions with no connectivity element. However, it has become evident that unconnected W-IFE has not established itself to the extent many were expecting. W-IFE grows mostly as an accessory to IFC and will continue to do so, especially as technology improves and the benefits of an integrated IFEC approach (greater personalisation, tailored content, operational efficiencies etc.) become more obvious.

Some market participants are positioning themselves as universal service providers capable of handling multiple platforms, connectivity links and applications throughout the cockpit and cabin. SITAONAIR and Rockwell Collins have been most vocal about their abilities in this regard; both eager to capitalise on the need for nose-to-tail connectivity. As this theme gathers momentum, W-IFE and IFC will increasingly be procured alongside one another and in addition to other products such as flight tracking and ACARS messaging. We, therefore, expect the number of aircraft with Internet-enabled W-IFE to surpass 13,000 by 2026 – up from approximately 4,500 in 2016.

Portable W-IFE Vendors

That’s not to say there’s no role for unconnected W-IFE to play. There absolutely is, and proponents of portable W-IFE are arguably best-placed to take advantage of this.

These solutions are attractive for a number of reasons:

  • Low up-front costs.
  • No STCs, thus minimising aircraft downtime and installation costs.
  • Low weight/small footprint.
  • Older units can be swapped for newer variants as technology evolves.
  • A low-risk way to trial W-IFE.

Consequently, the market for portable W-IFE has quickly become very crowded. AirFi, the company that pioneered the concept of portable W-IFE back in January 2015, has now been joined by the following vendors:

  • Lufthansa Systems
  • LSK Sky Chefs (Media inMotion)
  • Bluebox Aviation Systems
  • Inflight Dublin
  • Amphenol Phitek
  • Flow IFE
  • Vision Systems
  • Interactive Mobility (Flymingo)
  • ViaSat
  • Immfly

Others stand ready to enter the fray. In March 2017, Intertrust Technologies acquired Kiora Media and with it, a content distribution platform that can be used for IFE. Likewise, Czech-based Passengera has developed an infotainment platform for the bus, rail, vehicle and aviation markets. SkyFlix and Paradigm Tech, meanwhile, have opted to concentrate on business aviation thus far, but could, conceivably, look to address the commercial aviation market in future with their SkyFlix 2 and AdonisOne systems, respectively.

Hybrid Portable W-IFE

Faced with increased competition, incumbent vendors have sought to protect their position and over the last few months, several have unveiled portable W-IFE boxes that can be connected to the aircraft power supply. This type of solution is likely to prove popular among operators not keen on the logistical side of portable W-IFE that involves units being removed from the aircraft at the end of the day for recharging and content refreshment.

New Lufthansa Systems’ customer, Air Europa, is deploying a version of BoardConnect Portable that will see boxes stored in the overhead storage compartments of aircraft and further secured with Lufthansa Technik’s Power & Safe solution, a locked safe which is connected to a power supply to prevent unwanted access. Immfly and Air Nostrum have also launched a powered solution whereby boxes can be charged and powered on board the aircraft, while AirFi has announced that it is offering something similar. We speculate that the same is true of ViaSat and Tigerair Australia, although precise details are not currently available.

Such solutions combine the benefits of both a portable and an installed IFE solution and could prove popular in the low-cost sector and on short- and medium-haul routes in particular.

Future of W-IFE

Service provider backlog indicates that airlines under contract represent at least three years’ worth of W-IFE installations to come. Furthermore, some big airlines have recently committed to W-IFE.

Air France’s new low-cost subsidiary, Joon, is fitting Display Interactive’s UGO technology on its fleet and the French company along with Chinese partner, Donica, are close to revealing the name of another major client. Immfly is celebrating the recent launch of its “Air Time” service as part of a pilot on five easyJet aircraft, Panasonic Avionics’ eXW streaming system is being deployed on Hawaiian Airlines’ new A321neos and as already mentioned, Lufthansa Systems has bagged Air Europa.

Bluebox Aviation Systems, AirFi and Inflight Dublin continue to pick up new customers for their portable propositions, too. Bluebox has won the business of Solaseed Air and Air Inuit in the last few months and expects to reveal the names of additional customers imminently. AirFi has added Samoa Airways to a customer list that has grown rapidly in just three years and now consists of more than 30 airlines. Africa, which is almost entirely untapped as far as W-IFE goes, appears to be a major focus for Inflight Dublin. The Irish content service provider has signed up Tunisair and Kenya Airways as customers for the portable variant of its Everhub offer.

All things told, there is certainly every reason to believe our forecast of 15,000 W-IFE equipped aircraft by 2026 will be fulfilled. Much less certain is whether there will still be 30 plus vendors in the market by this point in time. The likes of Storebox Inflight, Ocleen TV, BAE Systems and PaxLife have all entered and exited the W-IFE market in a relatively short space of time and it would be foolish to assume that others will not follow suit.

Wireless In-Flight Entertainment Market Forecast

12 Dec 17
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[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent="no" equal_height_columns="no" menu_anchor="" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" class="" id="" background_color="" background_image="" background_position="center center" background_repeat="no-repeat" fade="no" background_parallax="none" parallax_speed="0.3" video_mp4="" video_webm="" video_ogv="" video_url="" video_aspect_ratio="16:9" video_loop="yes" video_mute="yes" overlay_color="" video_preview_image="" border_size="" border_color="" border_style="solid" padding_top="" padding_bottom="" padding_left="" padding_right=""][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type="1_1" layout="1_1" background_position="left top" background_color="" border_size="" border_color="" border_style="solid" border_position="all" spacing="yes" background_image="" background_repeat="no-repeat" padding_top="" padding_right="" padding_bottom="" padding_left="" margin_top="0px" margin_bottom="0px" class="" id="" animation_type="" animation_speed="0.3" animation_direction="left" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" center_content="no" last="no" min_height="" hover_type="none" link=""][fusion_imageframe image_id="4956|full" max_width="" style_type="" blur="" stylecolor="" hover_type="none" bordersize="" bordercolor="" borderradius="" align="center" lightbox="no" gallery_id="" lightbox_image="" lightbox_image_id="" alt="" link="" linktarget="_self" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" class="" id="" animation_type="" animation_direction="left" animation_speed="0.3" animation_offset=""]http://217.199.187.200/valourconsultancy.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Cellphone-Airplane-Mode-PHONEMODE0316-1024x640-1.jpg[/fusion_imageframe][fusion_separator style_type="default" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" class="" id="" sep_color="#ffffff" top_margin="20" bottom_margin="20" border_size="" icon="" icon_circle="" icon_circle_color="" width="" alignment="center" /][fusion_text] Last month, Valour Consultancy published its long-awaited report “The Future of In-Flight Entertainment – 2017”, which covers the prospects for four types of in-flight entertainment (IFE) product: embedded IFE, wireless IFE (W-IFE), overhead IFE and portable units. In this blog, we zero in on the W-IFE market and share some insight into its present state, likely future development and how the competitive landscape is shaping up. By the end of 2017, the installed base of W-IFE will stand at just over 6,000 aircraft. Drilling down into this top-level number reveals some interesting trends:
  • About 80% of W-IFE-equipped aircraft also offer full off-board connectivity.
  • North America still dominates the W-IFE landscape, but penetration elsewhere is growing – particularly in Western Europe, and Central and South America.
  • At the end of 2017, single-aisle aircraft will account for almost 90% of the installed base.
  • W-IFE line-fitments are a rare commodity – just 60 aircraft had systems installed at the factory in 2017.
  • Portable W-IFE continues to confound the doubters and the number of companies offering this kind of solution keeps on growing.
Internet-enabled W-IFE In the early days of W-IFE, most installations were on aircraft already equipped with in-flight connectivity (IFC). Global Eagle and Gogo have the largest share of the current W-IFE installed base mainly because they have been able to easily add their respective solutions to existing IFC deployments that utilise the same in-cabin architecture. Combining IFC and W-IFE is almost a no-brainer for airlines as it results in little disruption and has the potential to generate additional ancillary revenues, while at the same time, reducing the strain on sometimes overburdened networks. In 2015, however, we started to see the emergence of vendors eager to attract those operators not yet convinced by the economics of IFC offering solutions with no connectivity element. However, it has become evident that unconnected W-IFE has not established itself to the extent many were expecting. W-IFE grows mostly as an accessory to IFC and will continue to do so, especially as technology improves and the benefits of an integrated IFEC approach (greater personalisation, tailored content, operational efficiencies etc.) become more obvious. Some market participants are positioning themselves as universal service providers capable of handling multiple platforms, connectivity links and applications throughout the cockpit and cabin. SITAONAIR and Rockwell Collins have been most vocal about their abilities in this regard; both eager to capitalise on the need for nose-to-tail connectivity. As this theme gathers momentum, W-IFE and IFC will increasingly be procured alongside one another and in addition to other products such as flight tracking and ACARS messaging. We, therefore, expect the number of aircraft with Internet-enabled W-IFE to surpass 13,000 by 2026 – up from approximately 4,500 in 2016. Portable W-IFE Vendors That’s not to say there’s no role for unconnected W-IFE to play. There absolutely is, and proponents of portable W-IFE are arguably best-placed to take advantage of this. These solutions are attractive for a number of reasons:
  • Low up-front costs.
  • No STCs, thus minimising aircraft downtime and installation costs.
  • Low weight/small footprint.
  • Older units can be swapped for newer variants as technology evolves.
  • A low-risk way to trial W-IFE.
Consequently, the market for portable W-IFE has quickly become very crowded. AirFi, the company that pioneered the concept of portable W-IFE back in January 2015, has now been joined by the following vendors:
  • Lufthansa Systems
  • LSK Sky Chefs (Media inMotion)
  • Bluebox Aviation Systems
  • Inflight Dublin
  • Amphenol Phitek
  • Flow IFE
  • Vision Systems
  • Interactive Mobility (Flymingo)
  • ViaSat
  • Immfly
Others stand ready to enter the fray. In March 2017, Intertrust Technologies acquired Kiora Media and with it, a content distribution platform that can be used for IFE. Likewise, Czech-based Passengera has developed an infotainment platform for the bus, rail, vehicle and aviation markets. SkyFlix and Paradigm Tech, meanwhile, have opted to concentrate on business aviation thus far, but could, conceivably, look to address the commercial aviation market in future with their SkyFlix 2 and AdonisOne systems, respectively. Hybrid Portable W-IFE Faced with increased competition, incumbent vendors have sought to protect their position and over the last few months, several have unveiled portable W-IFE boxes that can be connected to the aircraft power supply. This type of solution is likely to prove popular among operators not keen on the logistical side of portable W-IFE that involves units being removed from the aircraft at the end of the day for recharging and content refreshment. New Lufthansa Systems’ customer, Air Europa, is deploying a version of BoardConnect Portable that will see boxes stored in the overhead storage compartments of aircraft and further secured with Lufthansa Technik’s Power & Safe solution, a locked safe which is connected to a power supply to prevent unwanted access. Immfly and Air Nostrum have also launched a powered solution whereby boxes can be charged and powered on board the aircraft, while AirFi has announced that it is offering something similar. We speculate that the same is true of ViaSat and Tigerair Australia, although precise details are not currently available. Such solutions combine the benefits of both a portable and an installed IFE solution and could prove popular in the low-cost sector and on short- and medium-haul routes in particular. Future of W-IFE Service provider backlog indicates that airlines under contract represent at least three years’ worth of W-IFE installations to come. Furthermore, some big airlines have recently committed to W-IFE. Air France’s new low-cost subsidiary, Joon, is fitting Display Interactive’s UGO technology on its fleet and the French company along with Chinese partner, Donica, are close to revealing the name of another major client. Immfly is celebrating the recent launch of its “Air Time” service as part of a pilot on five easyJet aircraft, Panasonic Avionics’ eXW streaming system is being deployed on Hawaiian Airlines’ new A321neos and as already mentioned, Lufthansa Systems has bagged Air Europa. Bluebox Aviation Systems, AirFi and Inflight Dublin continue to pick up new customers for their portable propositions, too. Bluebox has won the business of Solaseed Air and Air Inuit in the last few months and expects to reveal the names of additional customers imminently. AirFi has added Samoa Airways to a customer list that has grown rapidly in just three years and now consists of more than 30 airlines. Africa, which is almost entirely untapped as far as W-IFE goes, appears to be a major focus for Inflight Dublin. The Irish content service provider has signed up Tunisair and Kenya Airways as customers for the portable variant of its Everhub offer. All things told, there is certainly every reason to believe our forecast of 15,000 W-IFE equipped aircraft by 2026 will be fulfilled. Much less certain is whether there will still be 30 plus vendors in the market by this point in time. The likes of Storebox Inflight, Ocleen TV, BAE Systems and PaxLife have all entered and exited the W-IFE market in a relatively short space of time and it would be foolish to assume that others will not follow suit. Wireless In-Flight Entertainment Market Forecast [/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]
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