LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In-flight connectivity (IFC) equipment manufacturers and service providers are in line for a multi-billion-dollar windfall over the next ten years according to new research from Valour Consultancy. The market intelligence firm’s latest forecast calls for the installed base of connected aircraft to top 19,500 by 2025 – up from 5,233 at the end of 2015.
The report – “The Future of In-Flight Connectivity” – shows net new installations broke past the 1,000 mark for the first time last year and predicts the milestone will continue to be breached in subsequent years. Report author, Craig Foster, says that despite the huge number of installations that have taken place recently, penetration of IFC into the global commercial fleet is still below 30%. “There are plenty of existing and on-order aircraft to be fitted with connectivity in different parts of the world – especially outside of North America. IFC service providers now have a combined backlog somewhere in the region of 4,500 aircraft and that’s without taking into account the huge interest we are sure to see in the forthcoming European Aviation Network”.
There is also a growing opportunity to replace ageing components on already equipped aircraft. Foster continued: “The first installations were carried out eight or nine years ago and in that time, technology has progressed massively. We’re now seeing service providers introduce improved modems, wireless access points, servers and of course, antennas, that will reduce so-called choke points in the cabin and maximise the increased bandwidth coming from new high capacity satellites and future air-to-ground networks. Airlines are all too keen to take advantage of any solution that can offer the on-ground experience their passengers demand”.
The report also zeros in on operational efficiencies that can be achieved with IFC with the results of an airline survey showing increased awareness of connected aircraft applications. “Cost saving opportunities are beginning to resonate with operators keen to implement a wider e-Enablement strategy” Foster concluded.
Valour Consultancy is a provider of high quality market intelligence. Its latest report “The Future of In-Flight Connectivity” is now in its second edition and is widely recognised as a must-have resource for tracking developments in this market. For a table of contents and report scope, visit: http://www.valourconsultancy.com/research/aviation/future-of-in-flight-connectivity/
