After having launched Airspace Link HBCplus at Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX) in 2022 with its Ka offer (a finalist in the 2023 Crystal Cabin Awards), and then announcing its Ku solution at AIX 2023, Airbus says it is on track to deliver the technologies this year.
Airbus says that both its Ka and Ku HBCplus projects are steadily progressing towards certification, preceded by in-flight evaluations of the Ku and Ka antenna solutions, respectively. To this end, the GetSat Ku-band antenna is being flight-tested on an A310 MRTT; meanwhile the Thinkom Ka-band antenna recently commenced flight testing on Airbus’s A350-900 MSN2 ‘Airspace Explorer‘. The Ka-band solution will be the first HBCplus solution to be delivered, due to be installed on Emirates’ new A350s towards the end of this year, and will feature Viasat as the chosen managed service provider (MSP).
Philippine Airlines selects HBCplus for its A350-1000s
In other IFC news at Airbus, Philippine Airlines is the latest airline to select HBCplus to equip the nine A350-1000s which it ordered from Airbus in 2023.
In addition, an undisclosed airline has also selected HBCplus for its A320 Family aircraft – representing not only the first single-aisle commitment for HBCplus integration, but also the first selection of SES from the HBCplus MSP offering.
These airlines join previously announced orders for HBCplus from Emirates (for 60 A380s), Ethiopian Airlines; Air Algerie and Air India). Airbus says that additional deals are in various stages of negotiation with airlines and will be revealed in due course.
New partners to join the HBCplus programme
Airbus is in continuous discussions with MSPs to join the HBCplus programme and continue to team-up. Hughes has recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to join Airbus’ network of MSPs for the Ka-band solution. Besides this MoU, Airbus and Hughes are continuing to explore partnership opportunities for other connectivity architectures and services (including Ku-band). Subject to final contract, Hughes would join Airbus’ four other MSPs in its HBCplus catalogue: Viasat; SES; Panasonic and Intelsat.
Airbus is also exploring working together with satellite operator Telesat, and Safran Passenger Innovations (the provider of the Ka-band system for HBCplus), to ensure that the ThinKom antenna is compatible with the Telesat Lightspeed Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite network. This is a first step towards potentially enabling LEO network capabilities with Ka-band for HBCplus customers. This would also complement the already available Oneweb LEO capability in Ku band for HBCplus.
