Air Canada chose Intelsat to provide in-flight connectivity systems (IFC) on board some 100 additional planesincluding Intelsat’s new multi-orbit electronically oriented array (ESA) antenna for regional aircraft.
Intelsat currently provides in-flight internet operation on 240 aircraft covering Air Canada, Rouge and Air Canada Express. The new agreement includes IFC installations on three aircraft types:
-The 40 Boeing 737 MAXs will be equipped this year with Intelsat’s IFC 2Ku system.
-The Embraer 175 and Mitsubishi CRJ-900 regional aircraft, currently equipped with Intelsat’s air-ground system and operated by regional partner Jazz, will be retrofitted with Intelsat’s new ESA antenna from 2024.
According to Air Canada, Intelsat’s 2Ku solution is the best performing in the industry due to its combination of a low-profile fuselage-mounted antenna and reliable over-wing performance. The airline’s smallest aircraft in its regional fleet will benefit from Intelsat’s new ESA, which measures less than three inches and interoperates with both Intelsat’s family of geostationary satellites and its Earth-orbiting satellite constellation. bass (LEO) from OneWeb. These technologies will enable Air Canada to deliver the highest quality in-flight internet experience available to airlines, regardless of where it flies.
