SES has been selected by Kazakhstan flag carrier Air Astana and Finland’s equivalent airline, Finnair, to equip the airlines with multi-orbit in-flight connectivity, in a major boost to its activities in a sector where rival Starlink is rapidly signing up major airlines for its services.
Established in 2002, Air Astana is Kazakhstan’s leading full-service airline, and describes itself as one of the largest airlines in Central Asia. It operates a fleet of Airbus and Boeing aircraft, providing scheduled domestic, regional and international passenger and cargo services across Central Asia, the Caucasus, the Far East, the Gulf, India and Europe.
The airline has also been awarded a five-star rating in the Major Airlines category by the Airline Passenger Experience Association, and aiming to boost passenger experiences further, it has now introduced in-flight connectivity services across its Airbus A321LR fleet, equipped with SES’s electronically steered array (ESA) antenna.
Supporting both line-fit and retrofit installations, the ESA antenna is claimed to be the first commercially available antenna to operate between low Earth orbit (LEO) and geostationary earth orbit (GEO) satellites.
ESA is designed to deliver reliability and consistency along with low latency so passengers can text, browse or stream wherever they’re flying with speeds up to 275Mbps.
The service supports Air Astana’s vision of transforming the onboard experience for both business and leisure travellers. Through an airline-branded connectivity portal, passengers will be able to access a range of connectivity options, including complimentary streaming services for premium customers and flexible paid packages for Economy Class travellers. The service is supported by QMobile, (formerly Jusan Mobile), a leading telecommunications and technology provider in Kazakhstan.
The first connected Air Astana aircraft of its kind entered commercial service on 29 October, and SES will provide a fully managed in-flight connectivity service across the airline’s fleet.
Commenting on the deployment, Air Astana vice-president Yelena Obukhova said: “Today’s passengers expect to stay connected wherever they travel, whether they are working, keeping in touch with family and friends, or enjoying entertainment during their journey. Our partnership with SES will enable Air Astana to offer a modern, high-quality connectivity experience that reflects the premium service our customers expect. By combining multi-orbit satellite technology with our onboard experience, we are investing in greater comfort, convenience and value for our passengers.”
Meanwhile, Finnair will also equip 18 of its Embraer E195-E2 aircraft with ESA multi-orbit in-flight connectivity, combining SES’s GEO satellite services with LEO capacity from its partner, Eutelsat.
Finland’s flagship airline, it specialises in connecting passenger and cargo traffic between Asia, North America and Europe. The service will support Finnair’s ambition to provide passengers with a “seamless” connected experience from gate to destination.
“Customer needs are at the heart of everything we do at Finnair, and connectivity is an increasingly important part of the overall travel experience,” said Simon Large, chief customer officer at Finnair. “We are excited to partner with SES to bring a home-like broadband experience to our customers.”
Under the agreement, the Embraer E2 will be line-fitted at Embraer, and the first connected aircraft is expected to enter service in 2027.
