Wi-Fi in the sky: 'Gold rush' for internet on board planes spurs innovation

According to a 2018 report by Routehappy, which provides information on flight amenities, Wi-Fi is now accessible on 43 percent of all available seat miles worldwide, up 10 percent from early 2017

Satellite technology to provide Wi-Fi on board planes has matured to a point where more and more airlines are looking to use it, triggering a “gold rush” among suppliers.

That brings opportunities for a vast array of companies, from satellite firms such as Viasat and Inmarsat, to connectivity providers such as Gogo, Global Eagle, and Panasonic Avionics and software and hardware companies such as Lufthansa Systems and Lufthansa Technik. 

“It’s like a gold rush feeling at the moment,” Jan-Peter Gaense, head of passenger experience products & solutions at Lufthansa Systems, said at the Aircraft Interiors trade fair in Hamburg this week. 

But as