Who Wins in the LEO Era of IFC in Business Aviation? Valour Consultancy’s Upcoming Report Explores

The advent of LEO connectivity has profoundly changed the inflight connectivity (IFC) landscape in business aviation. Last year, Starlink reportedly installed its solution on 800 aircraft – equating to two installs per day. This is an unprecedented growth rate, especially for the aftermarket. It’s also brought the network operator’s total installed base up to 1,000, though it’s unclear whether either of these figures include the Starlink Mini terminal.

Eutelsat and Gogo have been just as aggressive in bringing Galileo to market since its launch in early 2025. The company hit 99 tails at the end of last year, which has grown to over 100 this quarter. That’s impressive when you consider Starlink’s installed base of 80 aircraft across all of aviation at the end of its first year.

What was once a pretty slow-moving retrofit market has now accelerated dramatically. This is moving towards the line-fit market, too – Galileo won line-fit deals prior to the service even launching. As a result, 2026 deliveries of select Textron Cessna jets will be factory-fitted with the solution. Needless to say, the competition is fierce!

This aggressive growth has already impacted the current IFC landscape and will continue to do so in the future. Valour Consultancy’s upcoming report “The Market for IFC in Business Aviation 2026” will:

Quantify the current installed base,
Provide qualitative analysis of key trends,
Forecast the installed fleet by region, aircraft type and connectivity technology for the next ten years,
Outline where revenue opportunities lie among different segments, and
Make predictions for the future.

A Snapshot of Today

What does the IFC landscape look like in business aviation today? Our upcoming report will set the scene.

Firstly, LEO has become a crucial element of cabin connectivity for the larger jets that are ideal candidates for high-throughput solutions. Low latency and high capacity – delivering an experience closer to what passengers enjoy on the ground – is now an expectation, especially after years of frustration with cabin connectivity performance.

But the need for LEO has brought about a particularly competitive IFC landscape. Starlink has immense brand power, Eutelsat is working with Gogo, currently the largest service provider in business aviation to effectively take the solution to market,, and incoming networks Amazon Leo, Telesat Lightspeed and China’s SpaceSail are also likely to shake things up. Where do incumbents sit in all of this? We believe that they have the tools to provide differentiated services, but need to be agile to stay in the game.

The Evolving Landscape

It’s not all about the networks. Our report will also explore the broader IFC landscape including multi-orbit and multi-network set ups and the evolving role of the service provider. Working with service providers and other network operators to support these setups can deliver:

Better coverage,
A more consistent experience throughout the entire flight,
Full redundancy, and
Ongoing support.

While high speeds might be appealing on the surface, coverage – which is contingent on regulatory approvals – must be considered. There’s also a risk involved with relying on only one solution on board – what happens if it goes down? Network operators like Viasat (partnering with Telesat), SES (partnering with Eutelsat), and Gogo (which offers air-to-ground (ATG) alongside LEO) are uniquely positioned to offer high-paying clientele a truly consistent and global experience.

Relationships with other vendors across the supply chain, such as MROs and OEMs, pricing, and business models offering ongoing support are key differentiators and crucial to long-term competitiveness against the likes of Starlink. This will be discussed in detail throughout the report.

The Future?

Well, you’ll have to wait for the report for the full details! We’ll answer this question with a ten-year forecast of connected aircraft and the installed base accompanied by qualitative analysis, predictions and identification of opportunities.

We’ve officially kicked off this report and are finalising the scope and starting the research phase. If you have insights or opinions on how the market for IFC will evolve over the next ten years, we’d love to hear from you!

Also, reach out if you want to learn more about Valour Consultancy, the report and how you can purchase it. The team will be at AIX in Hamburg this month – find us walking the floor or click here to set up a meeting.

Watch this space for more progress updates on our report, The Market for IFC in Business Aviation.

Summer Staninski, Market Research Analyst summer.staninski@valourconsultancy.com

A Snapshot of Today

The Evolving Landscape

The Future?

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

“Valour Consultancy’s research and analysis pertaining to in-flight connectivity adoption is excellent. It helps us understand how the market is expected to grow in the future, and predict whether airlines will aim to launch IFC services on its fleet.”

“The new report on aircraft seating and in-seat power systems provides a very comprehensive market and industry landscape information – the first of its kind containing that level of detail.”

“The Future of Aircraft Seating and In-Seat Power report came at a pivotal time for us as we look to the future of our in-flight offering. It has helped shape our internal strategies and highlighted areas we need to dig into more deeply. Valour has become a trusted resource and partner.”

“The Future of Aircraft Seating and In-Seat Power report came at a pivotal time for us as we look to the future of our in-flight offering. It has helped shape our internal strategies and highlighted areas we need to dig into more deeply. Valour has become a trusted resource and partner.”

“Valour’s maritime connectivity report provides the most comprehensive, detailed understanding of the market, with clear independent insights into the market trends and inhibitors. We use this report as the bible for our business strategy and marketing on what is happening in the industry.”

“Valour Consultancy’s report on The Future of Body Worn Cameras and Systems is well written, detailed and an excellent insight into the key markets. The analysis of the global law enforcement market was extensive and provided us with valuable industry information of this evolving market.”

“In a global market as dynamic as in-flight connectivity, Valour has established itself as a reliable source of market intelligence and insightful analysis. The team is responsive to requests and clearly engaged in improving an already impressive product.”

“The team around Valour Consultancy equips us with the value-added intelligence needed to make well-informed business decisions in a very dynamic market. The passion and knowledge of the team make it a real pleasure to work with them.”

“Astronics is using Valour Consultancy’s 2016 in-flight connectivity report extensively. We’ve found it highly useful in our long-range planning and it has aided in our market research.”

“The Valour Consultancy report on in-flight connectivity provides very detailed insights on the market and it constitutes a very useful tool for the marketing and strategy team at SITAONAIR. The Valour Consultancy team is also very friendly and we enjoy our working relationship with them.”

“Valour Consultancy has provided an incredibly thorough perspective on the in-flight connectivity space, offering insight into drivers of the current and future state of the quickly growing category.”

Who Wins in the LEO Era of IFC in Business Aviation? Valour Consultancy’s Upcoming Report Explores

A Snapshot of Today

The Evolving Landscape

The Future?

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“Valour Consultancy’s research and analysis pertaining to in-flight connectivity adoption is excellent. It helps us understand how the market is expected to grow in the future, and predict whether airlines will aim to launch IFC services on its fleet.”

“The new report on aircraft seating and in-seat power systems provides a very comprehensive market and industry landscape information – the first of its kind containing that level of detail.”

“The Future of Aircraft Seating and In-Seat Power report came at a pivotal time for us as we look to the future of our in-flight offering. It has helped shape our internal strategies and highlighted areas we need to dig into more deeply. Valour has become a trusted resource and partner.”

“The Future of Aircraft Seating and In-Seat Power report came at a pivotal time for us as we look to the future of our in-flight offering. It has helped shape our internal strategies and highlighted areas we need to dig into more deeply. Valour has become a trusted resource and partner.”

“Valour’s maritime connectivity report provides the most comprehensive, detailed understanding of the market, with clear independent insights into the market trends and inhibitors. We use this report as the bible for our business strategy and marketing on what is happening in the industry.”

“Valour Consultancy’s report on The Future of Body Worn Cameras and Systems is well written, detailed and an excellent insight into the key markets. The analysis of the global law enforcement market was extensive and provided us with valuable industry information of this evolving market.”

“In a global market as dynamic as in-flight connectivity, Valour has established itself as a reliable source of market intelligence and insightful analysis. The team is responsive to requests and clearly engaged in improving an already impressive product.”

“The team around Valour Consultancy equips us with the value-added intelligence needed to make well-informed business decisions in a very dynamic market. The passion and knowledge of the team make it a real pleasure to work with them.”

“Astronics is using Valour Consultancy’s 2016 in-flight connectivity report extensively. We’ve found it highly useful in our long-range planning and it has aided in our market research.”

“The Valour Consultancy report on in-flight connectivity provides very detailed insights on the market and it constitutes a very useful tool for the marketing and strategy team at SITAONAIR. The Valour Consultancy team is also very friendly and we enjoy our working relationship with them.”

“Valour Consultancy has provided an incredibly thorough perspective on the in-flight connectivity space, offering insight into drivers of the current and future state of the quickly growing category.”