Intelsat strengthens relationship with Japan Airlines
Japan Airlines is to install Intelsat 2Ku connectivity on its fleet of Boeing 737 and 767 aircraft
Intelsat is to upgrade approximately 50 Japan Airlines’ Boeing 737s and 767s to the company’s 2Ku inflight connectivity solution.
The 2Ku service includes a mechanically-steered, phased-array antenna that will replace the gimballed antenna Intelsat originally installed on the airline’s fleet nearly 10 years ago. The service is designed to operate on today’s high-throughput satellites, as well as with Intelsat’s fleet of new software-defined satellites (SDS) that will enter service in 2025.
“We value the trust that JAL has placed in Intelsat throughout our 10-year relationship,” said Dave Bijur, Senior Vice President of Commercial for Intelsat Commercial Aviation in a June 6 press release. “JAL was Intelsat’s first non-US commercial aviation customer, and we look forward to continuing to support JAL’s market-leading inflight connectivity service in Japan where their guests enjoy free service.”
In March 2023, JAL finalized an order for 21 super-efficient 737-8 jets, as it looks to strengthen its domestic and regional network as passenger traffic continues to return to pre-pandemic levels. JAL intends to begin introducing the airplanes into its fleet from 2026.
In addition to the fleet of Boeing 737s and 767s, JAL’s subsidiary airline, J-AIR Co. Ltd. is currently installing Intelsat’s 2Ku system on the carrier’s fleet of Embraer E190 aircraft. J-AIR will complete installation of the 2Ku system on 14 E190s by the end of 2024. When completed, J-AIR will be the first regional airline in Japan to offer inflight entertainment and connectivity services.
“Intelsat has been a trusted partner of JAL since 2013,” said Mitsuko Tottori, Senior Vice President of Customer Experience at Japan Airlines in the same statement. “Working with Intelsat, we are able to offer more robust inflight connectivity for our passengers. We are proud to have been among the first airlines in the world to offer free service for all passengers flying on our domestic routes starting in 2017 and look forward to the greater speed and reliability benefits the new 2Ku terminals will bring.”
