summary
- Icelandair partners with Viasat for high-speed WiFi on its A321LR jets to improve the passenger experience.
- Viasat’s innovative approach ensures reliable connectivity even during peak flight demand.
- Icelandair has also selected Pratt & Whitney engines for its A321LR and A321XLR fleet.
Icelandair has selected Viasat to provide in-flight connectivity (IFC) for its new Airbus A321LR jet. The Icelandic airline plans to take the first deliveries in the last quarter of 2024.
Icelandair uses Viasat WiFi on Airbus planes
Passengers aboard the airline’s upcoming A321LR aircraft will have access to high-speed inflight WiFi through Viasat’s satellite connectivity solution. The product ensures A321 travelers have reliable, high-bandwidth internet with lots of data, including entertainment streaming and live TV. Viasat is one of the airline industry’s most popular WiFI providers, and its equipment is used by a wide range of airlines, including Delta Air Lines, JetBlue Airways, and Southwest Airlines.
Photo: Airbus
Helga Hard Bjarnadóttir, Product and Service Management Director at Icelandair, commented:
“By extending our high-speed streaming WiFi service to new aircraft, we are doubling down on the cutting-edge connectivity that has become a highly sought-after element of the Icelandair passenger experience. is an innovative and trusted partner in how we approach the future of WiFi, and we look forward to continuing to do so.”
A Viasat spokesperson told Runway Girl Network that the announcement relates to Icelandair’s leased A321LR, scheduled for delivery in the fourth quarter of 2024, and that the supplier of the A321XLR, scheduled to enter service with Icelandair in 2029, is not yet available. He admitted that it had not been confirmed.
peak management
By making capacity flexible to “meet demand where it peaks and is most concentrated,” Viasat maintains consistent high quality, even in the face of high demand and other operational challenges. The airline states that it can provide in-flight connectivity. This approach effectively minimizes scenarios where passengers experience speed delays due to high network demands elsewhere. The aircraft will be connected to Viasat’s KA-SAT satellite over Europe, and over the United States and Iceland he will use ViaSat-2 and others.
Photo: Viasat
In the future, the aircraft will be connected to the provider’s upcoming ViaSat-3 satellite network, scheduled to launch in 2025, potentially delivering speeds in excess of 100mb/s. Icelandair already works extensively with Viasat, which services the airline’s Boeing 737 MAX fleet. The company launched in-flight WiFi on his MAX 8 fleet in early 2021, and he eventually rolled it out to the entire MAX fleet by summer 2022.
engine provider
In the same week, Icelandair also selected engines for its upcoming A321LR and A321XLR aircraft. The company chose Pratt & Whitney and its GTF engines despite program setbacks that caused major headaches for airlines around the world. The contract, along with the EngineWise MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) service contract, covers up to 35 new Airbus aircraft if all options are exercised.
Photo: Pratt & Whitney
Icelandair’s fleet plan will see the airline lease several A321LRs starting this year, followed by up to 25 A321XLRs starting in 2029. The planes will replace the airline’s aging fleet of Boeing 757s and 767s and will operate flights to Europe and North America.
Have you used Viasat’s in-flight WiFi service? How does it compare to other providers? Let us know in the comments.
