Summary
- American Airlines retrofitted its first aircraft with Intelsat’s multi-orbit internet, increasing connection speeds and capacity for passengers.
- The system uses both GEO and LEO satellites for strong coverage and plans to dynamically switch between the two in the future.
- Intelsat has contracts with major airlines for similar upgrades, with American Airlines leading the way in adopting the new technology.
The first American Airlines aircraft retrofitted with multi-orbit internet service is officially back in service. It is a Bombardier CRJ-700 operated by SkyWest Airlines for American Eagle.
Wi-Fi from Intelsat
According to PaxEx.Aero, the CRJ-700 with the registration N611SK arrived for maintenance at Consortia Aerospace in Gainesville, Florida. Almost 50 days later, the aircraft is back in service. Yesterday it completed its first flight since installation from Chicago, Illinois, to Aspen, Colorado.
The flight arrived at the gate at Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) on time. However, it had to taxi back to the gate and therefore did not take off until around three hours later. It arrived at Aspen-Pitkin Country Airport (ASE) two hours and 42 minutes later.
According to ch-aviation, the aircraft is 23.39 years old and was delivered to SkyWest in March 2001. It has space for 56 passengers, including 16 Economy Plus and 40 Economy seats.
Photo: SkyWest Airlines
The aircraft is now equipped with Intelsat’s multi-orbit solution, which features the Gilat/Stellar Blue Sidewinder terminal. The system will provide wireless internet access to passengers on domestic and international flights and is expected to dramatically increase the connection speeds and bandwidth capacity of the regional airline’s fleet.
The move is part of the contract American Airlines signed with Intelsat in December last year to equip its regional fleet with the solution. The hardware will be installed on the two-cabin regional aircraft, which include about 250 Embraer E170 jets and 220 CRJ-700 and -900 jets.
The system
Intelsat’s multi-orbit solution communicates with both GEO (geostationary orbit) and LEO (low Earth orbit) satellites. The former includes many of Intelsat’s satellites, while the latter communicates with Eutelsat’s OneWeb constellation.
Unlike GEO satellites, which must always orbit at high altitudes along the equator, LEO satellites orbit at relatively low altitudes (between 160 and 2,000 km) above the Earth. These satellites do not need to follow a specific trajectory around the planet, and therefore a constellation of LEO satellites can provide greater coverage.
The system’s ability to connect to both types of satellites ensures a strong and usable connection at all times. It is unclear if this functionality is currently available, as the companies previously stated that implementation would begin with GEO satellites only and then move to LEO constellations before being able to dynamically switch between the two depending on the situation.
Photo: SkyWest Airlines
Simple Flying has asked American Airlines to confirm system functionality.
Intelsat
Intelsat has secured contracts with three of the five largest regional jet upgrade providers. Alaska Airlines committed early last year and was set to be the first to receive the upgrade, but American beat them to it. Air Canada also committed last fall. In July, the airline also signed a contract with Aerolíneas Argentinas for the ESA offering, showing that the system is an option for international airlines as well.
Delta Air Lines took a different approach, signing a deal last month with Hughes, a competitor, to provide high-speed Wi-Fi to its passengers. United Airlines has not yet chosen a provider for its satellite upgrade, but is expected to join the list soon.
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