Delta Air Lines has selected Hughes Network Systems to provide multi-orbit, multi-band inflight connectivity for future new deliveries of select Airbus A350 and A321neo aircraft.
The arrangement is part of an expanded contract between Delta and Hughes which was announced by Hughes parent EchoStar yesterday during an earnings conference call to report fourth quarter and full year earnings.
“This expanded contract features the Hughes Fusion multi-orbit inflight connectivity solution, an industry first technology tailored for commercial aviation that simultaneously blends LEO and GEO satellite capacity at Ka and Ku frequency bands,” said Hughes chief operating officer Paul Gaske.
“The multi-orbit and multi-band capability allows Delta to utilize worldwide capacity to deliver an industry leading passenger experience.”
Financial terms have not been disclosed.
The Hughes Jupiter Fusion product sees Hughes blend Ka-band GEO service with Eutelsat OneWeb Ku-band LEO service in a multi-band, multi-orbit hybrid.
This architecture is supported by ThinKom Solutions’ new ThinAirPlus mix-and-match package combining the ThinKom Ka2517 VICTS antenna talking to Ka GEO with Hughes’ electronically steered antenna (ESA) tucked beside it under the same radome (or positioned elsewhere atop the fuselage) talking to Eutelsat OneWeb, as Hughes previously described to RGN.
Delta has taken a multi-source approach to IFC. Viasat has fit a large portion of the carrier’s fleet with its high-capacity Ka-band solution, gradually replacing Intelsat 2Ku, formerly provided by Gogo.
In 2023, the US major tapped Hughes to install Ka-band satellite-supported IFC on 400-plus aircraft, its Boeing 717 fleet as well as regional jets operated by subsidiary and contract carriers flying on behalf of the carrier. The kit, based on ThinKom’s Ka1717 VICTS hardware, is expected to start rolling out this year.
Delta first revealed it was eyeing a multi-network IFC solution in January at CES 2025 in Las Vegas.
Hughes, meanwhile, has made gains on the aircraft linefit front; it holds an MOU with Airbus to be a managed service provider on the Ka-band side of the airframer’s supplier-furnished HBCplus linefit program.
“Our unique network architecture for inflight connectivity is experiencing increased interest from airlines around the world,” said Gaske on the call.
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Featured image credited to ©Airbus SAS 2017 Alexandre Doumenjou – Master Films
