Valour Consultancy anticipates more than 22,000 IFC-equipped aircraft by 2032
A view from the window seat
Valour Consultancy’s report “The Future of In-Flight Connectivity – 2023”, its fifth edition, anticipates that in less than a decade, more than 22,0000 aircraft will be IFC-equipped. With a growing capacity to offer IFC to passengers, come the expectation that this is part of the inflight experience.
According to the report, the IFC market hit a milestone near the end of 2022 with the installed base of connected aircraft exceeding 10,000. Report author, David Whelan, noted that passengers are expecting airlines to offer IFC more commonly as the number of equipped aircraft steadily increases. This presents a challenge for the industry to meet the growing demand.
Satellite capacity to deliver IFC is also increasing, “augmented by constellations positioned in Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) and Low Earth Orbit (LEO),” the report said. As new LEO constellations enter commercial service, Valour Consultancy’s report says companies require a comprehensive review of the current state of IFC in the industry to inform their decision-making. The steps vendors take in the next few years are expected to position them for the long term.
“You have a really interesting contrast between Starlink and its disruptive portal-less, direct to airline, pure connectivity approach, and fellow LEO satellite operator OneWeb, which has taken an indirect approach, choosing to work with longstanding service providers, and partner with Geostationary Orbit (GEO) satellite operators,” reads the report. “The aviation industry is typically cautious, so OneWeb’s approach seems a sensible way to enter the market, but Starlink comes with a huge amount of hype and has had some impressive early wins.”
Valour Consultancy’s findings for GEO satellite suggest that Viasat’s acquisition of Inmarsat puts the company in a strong position for the future. While various IFC solutions are constantly in development and being introduced, Valour Consultancy indicates that how the IFC is deployed can determine the value it has for the airline.
The fifth edition of Valour Consultancy’s commercial aviation report was developed with input from more than 40 companies across the value chain along with many airlines. The full study includes 170 pages of analyses and forecasts up to 2032.
