Dubai Airshow: Yahsat shows off super-fast connectivity

The technology is the result of a partnership between Yahsat, du, Etihad Airways Engineering, Hughes Network Systems and Carlisle Interconnect. They say the high-speed broadband will be available for airlines to offer passengers across the Middle East and beyond within the next year.

This achievement is an industry disrupter in a market that has been dominated by Inmarsat, Panasonic Avionics, Gogo, ViaSat and others.

Masood M Sharif Mahmood, chief executive officer of Yahsat, said: “We are incredibly proud to have brought together leading Emirati and global companies to achieve this milestone

“It paves the way for Yahsat to bring further breakthrough technologies to the markets and segments we serve, adding another key pillar to our portfolio of market-leading services and solutions.

Abdul Khaliq Saeed, chief executive officer, Etihad Airways Engineering, said: “This is a first for commercial aviation and Etihad Airways Engineering is delighted to be part of this exciting and challenging project. Innovation is part of the DNA here in the UAE, with local companies always looking to push the boundaries for the benefit of consumers.

“Our country is known as an incubator to generate new commercial ideas and this latest initiative with Yahsat and du will ensure today’s travellers will enjoy the high-speed connectivity they already experience on the ground.”

Using Yahsat’s Al Yah 2 satellite and Ka-band technology, a ground-based test took place in Abu Dhabi recently, simulating the environment found on an Airbus A320 aircraft.

In 2015 Yahsat told “Arabian Aerospace” it was looking at a number of options for in-flight connectivity, including using Ku-band satellites to fill in the gaps where there is no Ka coverage.

The company’s first satellite, Yahsat Y1A, was launched in April 2011, and the second, Y1B, in April 2012. Yahsat will launch its third satellite, Al Yah 3, by the end of 2017/early 2018, extending its coverage to Brazil and an additional 19 markets across Africa.