Insight | 2019: A look back at a year in aviation
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2019 was a significant year for the aviation industry. The digitalisation of the sector continues apace and that’s been great news for the ongoing connectivity revolution. As ever, Inmarsat Aviation has been at the heart of these transformational events as you’ll see from our annual debrief.
January gets off to a suitably innovative start as Boeing announces that it successfully tested a flying car prototype. The hybrid helicopter, plane and drone was built in partnership with Porsche.
Heathrow says a new digital tower laboratory could mean its controversial third runway is built without the need for an additional control tower. Plans under trial could see disruption caused by poor visibility cut dramatically.
Airbus announces that it will cease production of its A380 double-decker superjumbo passenger jet.
With the UK’s withdrawal from the EU due to take place in March, Brexit still dominates the headlines. East Midlands regional airline Flybmi goes bust blaming Brexit uncertainty.
Inmarsat’s game-changing inflight broadband service, GX Aviation, is a big winner at the Inflight Middle East Awards. For the second year in a row Inmarsat picks up the prestigious Connectivity Enablement Award, as GX was named by judges as the inflight broadband solution of choice for airline passengers in the Middle East and beyond.
Plans to modernise European air traffic management move closer to completion as the Iris programme enters its implementation phase. John Broughton, Vice President, Operational and Safety Services at Inmarsat Aviation, says: “Progress of the Iris programme to date has been outstanding. With the system design and flight tests now complete, industry-wide interest and commitment to the programme has led to several important agreements with major European ANSPs, OEMs and a leading commercial European airline.
A judicial review of Heathrow Airport’s third runway begins.
Icelandic budget airline Wow Air cancels all flights after failing to secure emergency funding.
Elsewhere the rest of March sees the aviation sector apparently warming up for April Fool’s Day…
A plane bound for Malaysia has to return to Saudi Arabia shortly after take-off after a mother realises she has left her baby at the airport in Jeddah…
And after an airline loses a UK runner’s sporting gear, the athlete is forced to complete 100-mile ultra-marathon in his brogues and jeans.
It was another big month for Inmarsat as it celebrated the 1000th installation of its high-speed inflight broadband solutions. Inmarsat Aviation President Philip Balaam says the news is proof that its three award-winning connectivity services – GX Aviation, Jet ConneX and European Aviation Network – are at the forefront of aviation’s on-going connectivity revolution.
Lufthansa’s Christian Langer says aviation’s innovation cycles need to be quicker to succeed in the digital world.
Virgin Atlantic unveils five new figureheads for its planes. These figureheads that celebrate 21st Century diversity in all its forms replace the flying Varga girl that adorned Virgin’s planes for 35 years.
Aberdeen airport is the first UK airport to make use of ‘therapets’ in an attempt to calm anxious flyers. 14 dogs – dubbed the Canine Crew – are to be employed across the airport to help alleviate the stress of flying.
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) provides final approval for Inmarsat’s next-generation satellite communications platform, SB-S. The endorsement validates the capability of SB-S to support air traffic services by providing direct data link communication between pilots and air traffic control.
More good news for Inmarsat as it signs a deal with Airbus to deliver a new generation of satellites that will transform inflight broadband across the globe.
Announcing a ‘strategic formation of Bombardier Aviation’ the Canadian aerospace company puts its Belfast wing-making operation up for sale putting 4,000 jobs at risk.
The pilot of Myanmar National Airlines flight UB-103 is hailed as a hero after safely landing the plane without front wheels after its front landing gear failed to activate.
The Paris Air Show provides plenty to talk about this month…
There are calls for the aviation industry to run on electricity rather than fossil fuels.
Also in the French capital a confident Airbus unveils a new long-range small passenger jet – the A321XLR is a long-haul version of the A321neo. Deliveries are expected from 2023.
Elsewhere, a flight from Manchester to Islamabad is delayed for nearly eight hours after a passenger mistakes the emergency exit for the toilet.
And UberAir chooses Melbourne as the city for its flying car trial next year.
Qatar Airways is the big winner at the Skytrax World Airline Awards as it’s named the World’s Best Airline for the third time in five years. Last year’s winner Singapore Airlines comes second.
Following the UK’s busiest-ever day for flights (8,863 flights on July 5), the UK’s main air navigation service – National Air Traffic Services – calls for urgent airspace modernisation.
Following a data breach that saw the personal data of half a million passengers stolen from British Airways, the airline is to be fined more than £183m.
It’s a great month for Inmarsat…
Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) announces that following an extensive fleet renewal programme, connectivity services on board its first Airbus A350 will be powered by GX Aviation.
Global Xpress – the network that powers GX Aviation and Jet ConneX – is due for another significant upgrade, following the news that future new payloads, GX10A & 10B, will provide Inmarsat’s airline and business aviation customers with even more capacity in higher elevations and across the Arctic.
An Inmarsat-hosted party was held in London to celebrate the news that the European Aviation Network (EAN) was live and flying with initial airline customers.
The FAA endorses the use of ADS-C technology – powered by Inmarsat’s SB-S and Classic Aero services – to reduce minimum separation standards in US oceanic airspace by 2022.
British Aerospace lobby group, ADS, reveals global aircraft production has fallen in the wake of the Boeing 737 Max crash. The organisation recently slashed its forecast for 2019 global aircraft deliveries from 1,789 to 1,489.
France’s foremost Air Navigation Services Provider (ANSP), Direction des Services de la Navigation Aérienne (DSNA), joins a consortium of European ANSPs to support the modernisation of European air traffic management through Inmarsat’s Iris programme.
Ural Airlines Flight 178 makes an emergency landing in a corn field shortly after take-off from Moscow. The plane lost power to both engines after striking a flock of gulls. The incident is compared to the 2009 ‘Miracle on the Hudson’.
White powder found at Gatwick Airport – thought to be a massive drug bust – turns out to be vegan cake mix.
A small horse accompanies a passenger on a flight from Chicago to Omaha.
It turns out the mini horse Flirty provides emotional support to her owner.
Flirty also has her own Instagram account
Inmarsat hits APEX EXPO in Los Angeles. It’s a big year for both as both company and event turn 40.
Outside of the birthday celebrations, the third and final chapter of Inmarsat’s Sky High Economics survey, in association with the London School of Economics (LSE), is published. One of the key take outs is that passenger behaviour and loyalty is now inextricably tied to the implementation of high-speed, high quality IFC.
Airbus predicts number of planes in the sky will double in 20 years.
Britain’s biggest peacetime repatriation mission begins as Thomas Cook collapses. More than 150,000 holidaymakers are brought home.
Japan Airlines introduces an online booking tool so passengers can avoid crying babies on a plane.
Airbus delivers its 9,000th A320 to EasyJet. It expects to hit the 10,000 mark in early 2021.
The world’s largest single-building airport terminal opens in Beijing. The £50bn Daxing will be able to hold 72m passengers a year by 2025. The starfish-like building was designed by renowned architect Zaha Hadid before her death.
GX Aviation goes live on AirAsia and Virgin Atlantic’s first flight equipped with GX Aviation takes off from London en route to New York.
The environmental impact of aviation dominates this month as…
British Airways announces it will offset domestic flight emissions from 2020.
IATA calls for an end to flight shaming, warning it could slow the growth of the industry.
And Richard Branson proclaims that aviation can be carbon neutral sooner than most people think…
Elsewhere, a Qantas Dreamliner completes the longest ever commercial flight of 19 hours from New York to Sydney. The flight is designed to test whether passengers can endure the physical and mental effects of extremely long aircraft journeys.
Over 230,000 people follow a portion of the flight dubbed Project Sunrise.
A report by Honeywell Aerospace says the super-rich are fuelling demand for private jets – with nearly 8,000 new jets expected to be bought over the next decade.
And flying taxis are definitely on their way. Well, by 2022 at least…
Phase 2 of Iris – Inmarsat and the European Space Agency’s programme to modernise European airspace – is underway after the partners sign an agreement to conduct flight trials.
Spanish airline Vueling becomes the first LCC to offer EAN to passengers.
As Emirates president Sir Tim Clark hails Greta Thunberg for bringing focus to the issue of climate change to the aviation industry, EasyJet says it will become the world’s first major airline to operate net-zero carbon flights across its entire network.
Airbus wins $30bn of orders for 170 aircraft.
Russian airline Aeroflot voids a frequent flyer’s 400,000 air miles after he swapped his ‘overweight’ cat for a slimmer feline to get around the carrier’s cabin rules.
Inmarsat’s GX5 satellite successfully launches. The satellite will deliver more capacity than the entire existing GX satellite fleet combined into Europe and the Middle East.
A new report reveals the last-minute spending habits of Generation Z passengers. Research by the LSE shows that 70% of Gen Z flyers would book hotels and other holiday-related items while in the air if they could rely on robust IFC.
EasyJet reclaims its place at the City’s top seat of share indexes as it returns to the FTSE100, six months after dropping out of the list.
The world’s first fully electric commercial aircraft takes flight in Canada.
It’s a great end to Inmarsat’s 40th year after Inmarsat Aviation is named the World’s Leading Infight Internet Service Provider for the third year in a row at the prestigious World Travel Awards.
